Life As We Know It
by mego94
Summary: Beck has always wanted to have children, but Jade's insecurities have her convinced otherwise. After the arrival of their niece, Sophie, Jade realizes that starting a family may not be as terrible as she thought. But, after a fatal accident leaves Sophie in the care of Beck and Jade, will they be able to adjust to their new lifestyle? Based off of the movie "Life As We Know It" :)
1. Prologue

**Hey, guys! So for those of you that have expressed an interest in my writing a Bade story, here you go :D It's based off of the movie ****_Life As We Know It_**** with Josh Duhamel and Katherine Heigl, which, if you haven't seen it yet, is an awesome movie :D Plus it's Josh Duhamel, so there's that... ;) Let me know what you think so far! **

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Beck sat impatiently in the waiting room, where he peered anxiously at the clock for the thousandth time that night. It was now nearing two in the morning, and he and his family were perched on the edge of their seats as they awaited the arrival of Baby Hendricks: Mr. and Mrs. Oliver's first grandchild. Beck couldn't be more excited for the new addition to the family, as he's always wanted children, and couldn't wait to see his beautiful niece or nephew. Jade, however, felt uneasy about the situation. She knew how badly Beck wanted a family, yet she made her dislike for children quite clear and, what's more, they were still young- only twenty-one years old. She wasn't ready for a child yet, and Beck respected that.

Jade looked over at him and couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

"I know you're excited, babe, but chill," she laughed as she went to grab his hand. "It should be any time now."

At Jade's words, an exhausted looking Mrs. Oliver made her way out into the waiting room, causing everyone to rise to their feet.

"Well?" Beck pressed, eager to hear the news. Mrs. Oliver simply shook her head.

"Nothing yet."

"It's been five hours. What's taking so long?" he asked in curiosity, earning a laugh from Mrs. Oliver.

"She's almost there," she reassured her son, "but this isn't a quick in-and-out process; it takes time. The nurse told her that she should be here within the hour, so it won't be much longer."

Beck smiled at his mother's words, happy to hear that things seemed to be moving quickly; he didn't know if he could wait much longer. As he watched Mrs. Oliver make her way back to his sister, he reclaimed his spot next to Jade and couldn't help but notice the small smile on her face.

"You're in an unusually good mood," he joked, causing Jade's smile to fall.

"I can't be happy for your family?" she argued with a raise of her eyebrow.

"_Our_ family," he corrected her, playing with her wedding band. "And I'm just surprised, that's all. You're not exactly fond of children, and you've made that quite clear."

"It's not like it's ours: we don't have to worry about losing sleep, going broke, or screwing up an innocent human being. We can see it whenever we want, and when we get annoyed, which, believe me, won't take very long, we can hand the thing back to its parents."

Beck sighed at Jade's comment, noticing that her opinion on having a family hadn't changed. He knew that deep down she really wanted children, but the fear of turning into her parents truly frightened her, and she didn't want to screw up an innocent child.

"But just think, babe," he spoke up, wrapping his arm around her, "this could be us one day."

Jade grimaced, displeased by Beck's comment. "_Maybe _one day," she agreed, trying to appease him, "but don't expect it to happen any time soon."

Beck smiled at wife, gladly accepting; it had been the closest that she'd come to admitting that she wanted a family.

"I wonder what they would look like," he started, earning an inquisitive look from Jade. "I bet they'd have my skin tone, and your gorgeous, blue eyes."

Jade blushed at Beck's words and leaned into his embrace.

"That doesn't sound too bad," she agreed.

"And you have to admit," Beck added, "we'd make damn cute kids."

Jade's cheeks flushed a deep red, and a small smile graced her lips.

"Well, that's a given," she joked, resting her head on Beck's shoulder.

"You're blushing?" he asked in amusement as he noticed her flushed complexion.

Before Jade could answer with some sarcastic comment, Cameron Hendricks, Beck's brother-in-law, came walking into the waiting room, a huge grin plastered on his face. Everyone rose to their feet in anticipation of the news, even Jade.

"It's a girl!" he announced proudly, tears still in his eyes.

A smile made its way across Beck's face as he approached his brother-in-law.

"I'm so happy for you two," he said, allowing for Cameron to shake his outstretched hand.

"Congrats," Jade timidly spoke up from beside Beck. The whole situation felt awkward to her, as she had never really gotten along with Beck's sister nor his brother-in-law. When Jade came into the picture several years ago, Kate absolutely adored her, claiming that she was the younger sister that she never had. Jade grew easily annoyed with her peppiness and would often dismiss the older female, never really allowing for her and Kate to become close.

Cameron beamed proudly, still adjusting to his new reality, and placed his hand on Beck's shoulder.

"Do you want to meet her?"

Beck smiled, eagerly accepting before glancing at Jade, who seemed hesitant to accept the offer.

"You go ahead, Beck," she permitted, releasing her arm from his waist. "You should be with your family; I don't want to impose."

His smile fell ever so slightly at Jade's remark, knowing that she would have declined. Despite being together for eight years, Jade still had a difficult time calling the Olivers her family as she was not one to grow close or attached; everything that she had grown close to in the past had left her, she couldn't bear experiencing that again.

Cameron laughed softly, before putting a hand on Jade's shoulder.

"You're family, too, Jade. Hell, you've been a part of this family longer than I have," he joked, earning an uneasy smile from the woman.

"If you say so," she shrugged, causing Beck to grin.

He carefully intertwined Jade's hand in his own, pulling her close as they made their way to the room. As he looked over at her, he couldn't help but feel amused by the uneasy look that remained on her face.

"Something wrong?" he asked her, wondering what she was thinking.

"What if she doesn't like me?" she whispered in a small voice.

"Kate? She'll get used to you," Beck joked, trying to lighten her mood.

"The _baby_, Beck. What if the _baby_ doesn't like me?" she answered with a roll of her eyes.

Beck stopped and turned to face Jade, his look softening.

"Why are you so worried, babe?"

Jade shifted uneasily in her position before looking at the ground. She wanted to answer him, but she didn't want to sound like a sap, nor did she want Beck to think that he was winning at the whole "let's start a family" debate.

"Jade?" he tried again, concerned by her lack of response.

"What if she doesn't like me?" she asked again, meeting Beck's gaze.

"Why are you worried?" he prodded, trying to get her to open up.

"It's just-"she paused, not knowing if what she was going to say would make her sound pathetic. "Let's say we do start a family. What if our own children don't like me, or worse, love me?" she muttered, returning her gaze to the ground.

"Jade," he sighed, "that wouldn't be possible. How could someone _not_ love you?"

"I don't know, ask my parents," she replied monotonously.

"Hey," Beck murmured, earning her attention. "That's their problem, and their loss."

Jade smiled at her husband, allowing him to wrap his arms around her once again.

"You're such a sap," she teased, before looking into his eyes, "but, thanks."

Beck gently placed a kiss to her temple, before looking at her in amusement.

"I thought you didn't want kids," he teased with a smirk.

"I never said that," she defended, "I said 'maybe one day,' that doesn't mean never," she answered with a playful roll of her eyes.

Beck smiled in victory, noting how close Jade was coming to caving. But before he could reply with another smart comment, Jade grabbed his hand and began to drag him down the hall, interrupting him.

"Let's go see our niece," she said, causing Beck's smile to widen.

It didn't take long for the couple to find the room, as the boisterous chatter coming from the end of the hall unmistakably belonged to the Oliver clan. As the couple walked in, Kate looked up from her spot in her bed and flashed a proud, yet slightly delirious smile at the couple.

"There you are," Cameron greeted as he released his arm from around his wife's shoulders. Kate gently shifted in her bed, letting out a soft noise of discomfort as she placed the sleeping baby into her husband's arms.

"There's someone I want you to meet," he told the couple while approaching them. Beck positioned himself, holding his arms open to accept the little bundle, and Cameron gently placed the baby girl into her uncle's arms, watching as a huge grin appeared on his face.

"Hi, baby girl," he cooed, placing a kiss to her forehead. As if on command, her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a gorgeous set of brown eyes. She let out a tiny yawn as she stirred in Beck's arms, causing his heart to flutter.

"Look at you," he whispered, holding the baby close, before looking to his sister.

"Does she have a name yet?"

Kate looked to her husband, earning a nod as if to give her the go ahead.

"Sophie Brynn Hendricks," she introduced with a smile.

"Hi, Sophie," Beck greeted the newborn. "I'm your uncle Beck, and that's your aunt Jade," he gestured towards his wife.

Jade couldn't help but smile at the sight of her husband interacting with their niece; it seemed so natural for him. Although she had told him that she wanted to wait, something about seeing her husband interacting with Sophie made her feel more willing to have children. Not just that, but there was also something about Beck holding a baby that was a huge turn on for Jade, and she could have jumpstarted the process right then and there.

"Do you want to hold her, babe?" he asked, looking over at Jade.

As if to ask permission, she stole a glance at Kate, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Go ahead, Jade," she allowed, "after all, she's your niece."

Jade took a timid step towards Beck, holding her arms out to receive the baby girl. As he gently eased the child into his wife's arms, he noticed the look of admiration that worked its way across her features. He knew that, although she would deny it later, she would enjoy interacting with her niece.

Sophie began to look around the room, seeming confused by the sight of the new set of arms, and allowed for her eyes to fix on Jade's. She would never admit it, but as soon as Sophie's gorgeous browns met her crystal blues, she couldn't help but want a baby of her own. However, after being transferred from Beck's warm embrace to Jade's rigid, uncomfortable one, the tiny child began to squirm in her aunt's arms, letting out a soft whimper. Jade tensed in response, not knowing what to do in the situation. She didn't want the child to cry, as the sound annoyed her. More importantly, though, she couldn't help but feel that if the baby were to cry, it would be her fault- that Sophie didn't like her.

All eyes watched on, awaiting Jade's reaction: everyone in the room, sans Beck, expected Jade to grow annoyed by the squirming child, especially if she were to cry. Beck, though, knew what she was capable of: he was the only one that knew about her surprisingly nurturing side. As Sophie's bottom lip began to quiver, Kate closed her eyes, bracing herself for Jade's reaction. However, rather than panic, Jade looked over to Cameron, who gladly accepted to retrieve the fussy child. If she weren't in a room full of Beck's family, or even in a room with Beck, she would have rocked the little girl, singing to her until she settled down. But she was Jade West: she would never let others see her soft side; she didn't want to appear weak.

As Cameron began to rock the little bundle, a nurse came in, announcing that it was time to start feeding. Taking it as his cue to leave, Beck walked over to his sister's bed and carefully wrapped her in a hug.

"She's perfect, sis. I'm so proud of you," he told her through a smile. Even Jade made her way over to Kate, giving her a hug, albeit a hesitant one, and her congrats.

The couple walked out the door and after making it out into the waiting room, Beck stopped Jade, giving her a warm smile.

"I'm really proud of you," he started, earning a cold glare from Jade.

"Watch it, Oliver," she threatened.

"I mean it," he tried again. "I know you're not one to be soft, but I could tell how much you love Sophie; you were smiling."

"I wasn't smiling," she argued, embarrassed that she had been caught.

"Why are you embarrassed about it? I thought it was sweet."

Jade's eyes narrowed. How dare her husband associate her with the word "sweet."

"_Never_ call me that," she demanded, causing Beck to chuckle.

"Come on, babe. I'm just saying: you've always said that you wouldn't be good with kids, especially after your 'Jade with Tots' videos, but honestly? I think you did amazing."

"Beck, I was terrified," she argued, "I literally stood completely still, holding my breath, and praying to God that I wouldn't make her upset; I don't know what I would have done if Sophie would have started screaming."

"Hand her back to her parents?" he offered. "She's not _your_ kid," he teased, quoting Jade.

She rolled her eyes at Beck's comment, but couldn't help but smile at him.

"Whatever, Oliver."

"So, considering how well things went with Sophie-"

"Not right now," she interrupted him, knowing where he was taking this.

The corners of Beck's lips tugged downwards into a slight frown.

"Hey," Jade spoke up, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I _do _want to have a family with you," she admitted, "just not right now."

Beck's face lit up, and he brushed his lips against Jade's.

"Really?"

Jade chuckled at his excitement, before laying her head on his chest. "Really," she confirmed.

"Although, I have to admit: you look damn sexy with a baby in your arms."

Beck smiled at Jade's words, and he pulled back to look into her lust-filled eyes.

"I could say the same for you," he whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She leaned into him, allowing for their lips to touch, and melted under his touch as he deepened the kiss. Realizing where they were, Jade quickly pulled away, leaving a confused Beck.

"Easy, killer," she teased, "I said I wanted to wait on the family."

Beck grinned at his wife before placing a chaste kiss to her lips. No matter how much she denied it, he knew that, deep down, she wanted children. Although she felt uncertain about it, after seeing her the look on her face upon receiving Sophie, Beck knew that she would change her mind; she may feel unprepared now, but he knew that she would make an amazing mother. All in due time.

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**Well, let me know what you think :) This is just the prologue; I started writing the first chapter, but decided that it might be a good idea to give a little background info :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**I'm really happy with the response I've gotten so far! I was nervous about posting this, so I'm glad that I've gotten such great feedback :) Here's Chapter 1 (Well, I guess technically chapter 2)! Let me know what you think. Reviews help and are greatly appreciated :)**

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Beck sat up in the middle of his bed, scrolling through pictures on his Pearpad as he waited for Jade to reenter the room. There was one in particular that had caught his attention, and he couldn't keep himself from looking at it: a picture that was taken the moment Sophie was placed in Jade's arms. The small smile that Beck caught a glimpse of had been captured, much to Jade's dismay, and a glint of adoration could be seen in her eyes. Although Beck tried to reassure her that it wasn't a big deal, in fact it was his favorite picture of her, Jade was frustrated beyond belief- embarrassed that others had seen her let her guard down. Beck smiled at the picture, imagining Jade holding their child for the first time.

"Beck, I swear to God, if you're looking at the picture again," Jade threatened before reappearing in the bedroom.

Startled by her entrance, Beck jumped ever-so-slightly and placed the Pearpad face down in his lap. Rather than denying his action, Beck tried to appease his wife in an attempt to lighten her mood.

"It really is a great picture, babe. I don't understand why you're so upset about it."

"And I don't understand why you're so _obsessed_ with it," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not _obsessed_," he defended, but after receiving a look from Jade, he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "You just look so…natural," he finished, hoping that she wouldn't become upset.

"Someone's being cheesy," she teased, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Call it what you want, I still think it's a great picture," he reassured her, kissing the top of her head.

Jade smiled at Beck's action and nearly melted under his touch. "Really?" she asked, her voice curious.

Beck leaned closer to her, brushing his lips against her ear. "You looked sexy," he whispered, causing Jade to shiver. She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes, noticing the familiar look that crossed his face. Without saying a word, Beck leaned into Jade, brushing the hair from her face while placing a kiss to her lips. Jade smiled as their lips moved in sync and leaned further into Beck's embrace. His hands became tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, causing Jade to let out a soft whimper. But before he could take it any further, his phone began to ring from its place on the nightstand. Beck decided to ignore it, thinking nothing of it. Jade, however, was not pleased.

"Who the hell would call at ten o'clock at night?" she mumbled against his lips.

"Don't worry about it," he breathed, "it's probably nothing."

Jade shrugged it off and turned her attention back to Beck, running her hands through his hair. As a response, he gently wrapped her legs around his waist, holding her close to him. She smiled at him, silently giving him permission, but before he could comply, the sound of his ringtone pierced the air once again; the second time in less than a minute.

"Beck," she groaned against his lips, annoyed by the interruption, but he wasn't listening. He was too distracted to notice her annoyance. As the phone went off for the third time, Jade abruptly released herself from Beck's hold and lunged for the phone, extremely annoyed. Before answering, she took a quick peek at the caller I.D. and then proceeded to answer with a confused, "Mrs. Oliver?"

Beck sat up at the mention of his mother's name and tried desperately to even out his breathing. Jade, on the other hand, sat extremely alert and tried to piece together the jumbled string of words coming from the other end of the line. Realizing that it was useless, Jade pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it against the palm of her hand.

"I can't understand a damn word she's saying," she mumbled, slightly annoyed. "You talk to her."

Beck gave her an incredulous look as she tried to pass him the phone. "Jade," he whimpered in obvious discomfort. Jade smirked, but knew exactly how he felt; she herself still felt caught up in the moment.

"The faster you take this call, the faster we can finish," she bribed, knowing it would do him in. With an eager nod, Beck took the phone from Jade's hand and stood up from his position on the bed.

"Mom?"

Rather than being met with a proper response, he was met with a mix of unintelligible words.

"What the hell?" he mumbled in confusion, understanding what Jade had been talking about.

Jade looked at him expectantly, waiting from some kind of explanation, yet she didn't receive one. Growing frustrated, Beck tried to gain his mother's attention for the second time.

"Mom? What's going on? " He asked, not expecting an answer. This time, however, he was able to piece together her words and the flushed complexion drained from his face.

"Wh-what?" he stuttered in disbelief.

Jade detected the sobriety of the situation, and stood up from her spot on the bed.

"Beck?" she asked hesitantly from across the room, but she didn't receive an answer.

Beck began pacing the room as he carded a hand through his hair, allowing for Jade to understand that something was wrong.

"How?" was all he could get out, but before Jade or Mrs. Oliver could get another word in, Beck found himself saying, "We'll be there as soon as we can," before disconnecting the call.

Jade looked expectantly at her husband, waiting for him to answer.

"We need to go," he ordered, trying his best to sound convincing. However the slight crack in his voice caused Jade to cross the room, and face a distraught-looking Beck.

"What's wrong, babe?"

Beck swallowed thickly, trying to regain his composure. "It's Kate…and Cameron," he answered quietly. Jade gave him a confused look, not understanding what they had to do with the situation, but before she could ask, Beck interrupted her.

"They were in a car accident; we need to get to the hospital."

Jade let out a soft gasp, not wanting to believe the news. Sure, she had never been particularly close with Beck's sister and brother-in-law, but she tolerated them.

"How are they?" she asked, fearing the worst.

"She didn't say, but we need to leave," he ordered while making his way to the front door. As he grabbed his keys from their place on the nearby shelf, Jade noticed his pained expression and she tried desperately to comfort him.

"Beck," she called out, trying not to startle him. The man in question turned his attention to his wife and upon meeting her soft gaze, his eyes started to well with tears. Jade approached him and wrapped her arms around his frame as she tried to console him.

"They'll be okay, babe," she reassured him, although she seemed unsure herself. Beck nodded against Jade's figure and pulled away, giving her a grateful peck on the lips before they made their way out the door and into the night.

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"Sweetheart," Mrs. Oliver acknowledged her son as he made his way into the waiting room. Jade followed close behind, trying to match his gait, but he was too quick.

"Where are they?" he asked, sparing any unnecessary conversation. He'd hoped that they'd simply be in an examination room, getting ready to be released; he had no idea of the severity of the situation.

"They've been moved to the second floor," she informed him, approaching her son.

"But that's…"

"The ICU," she finished with a slight nod of her head.

"Both of them?" he asked in disbelief, hoping that there was some sort of mistake.

Rather than answer her son, Mrs. Oliver wrapped him in her embrace, trying to comfort him. Jade watched on in silence, not wanting to interrupt their moment; she knew that Beck needed his mother's comfort, and vice versa.

"How did it happen?" she spoke up softly, hoping to answer Beck's unasked question.

Beck pulled away from his mother and looked expectantly into her eyes, curious himself. Mrs. Oliver swallowed thickly, trying to regain her composure so as not to startle the young adults, and began to explain to her son.

"They were coming home from an office party in Cameron's building. A drunk driver turned onto the one way road and was driving against oncoming traffic; Cameron didn't see it in time. It all happened so fast and he didn't have time to react.

"It was a head on collision," she whispered, answering Beck's next unasked question. "And the other driver was speeding. He was killed on impact, but Kate and Cameron are in critical condition. The nurse told me she's surprised that they were able to survive; it was a horrific accident."

Beck allowed for his eyes to snap shut as he tried to digest his mother's words. He didn't want to believe any of it, and he was furious at the other driver; the accident could have easily been avoided.

"Are we allowed to see them?" he asked, hopeful.

Mrs. Oliver shook her head. "I'm sorry, baby, but we can't."

Beck just nodded, unable to utter an actual response. He didn't know what to say; what _could_ he say?

"Where's Sophie?" he asked, suddenly alert. With everything that had been going on, he hadn't realized the absence of his niece.

"She's with your father," Mrs. Oliver assured her son. "I offered to stay and wait for you, while he went in with Sophie."

"She was in the car?" Beck asked in disbelief. He didn't want to imagine his niece in the accident, nor did he want to imagine the baby attached to a mess of hospital wires. He staggered backwards a bit, trying to compose himself, and took a seat in one of the chairs.

Noticing her son's demeanor, Mrs. Oliver quickly corrected herself, not wanting him to worry.

"Sophie was very lucky," she told him. "She isn't seriously injured; just a few bruises."

Beck flinched at his mother's words. Although he was relieved that she had no sustainable injuries, he couldn't stand to hear the word "bruises" associated with the child. Jade, still in shock about the situation, made her way over to her husband and sat down in the chair next to him. She gently wrapped her arm around him, letting him know that she was there, and looked up when Mrs. Oliver began to speak again.

"Will you two be alright for a little bit? I want to go check on Sophie."

Jade, realizing that Beck wouldn't be able to answer, managed a weak smile and with the nod of her head answered, "We'll be fine. Let us know if anything changes?"

Mrs. Oliver smiled at her daughter-in-law and nodded, before making her way out of the waiting room and down the hall.

"Oh, my God," Jade sighed, trying to process the situation. Beck just shook his head in disbelief and remained silent, his mind flooded with unasked questions.

"Beck?" Jade spoke up as she took his hand in hers.

"All because of a drunk driver," he muttered monotonously, shaking his head.

"They'll be okay, babe," she tried to reassure him, but he was convinced otherwise.

"But what if they won't be? Then what would happen?" he argued, his voice rising.

"Beck-"

"What would happen to Sophie?" his voice fell to a whisper as he placed his head in his free hand. "She's just a baby. What the hell's going to happen to her?"

"Nothing's going to happen to her," Jade whispered, rubbing his hand in between hers. "She's going to go home with her parents and everything will be alright.

"And if it's not," she lowered her voice, "you know your parents would take her in a heartbeat."

Beck shook his head. "They're going back to Canada next week. They were only staying to help out after she was born."

Jade, defeated, didn't know what else she could say to comfort her husband. She simply let him place his head on her shoulder, and she kissed the top of it in a reassuring manner.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Mrs. Oliver appeared from down the hall with little Sophie bundled in her arms. Beck, upon seeing his niece, immediately stood up from his chair and made his way over to her.

"Is she okay?" he asked his mother, worried. Much to his relief, Mrs. Oliver nodded before looking down at her granddaughter.

"She's being released, and until we hear more about Kate and Cameron she'll stay with us until we have to head back home."

Beck let out a sigh of relief, happy to know that Sophie was taken care of. He looked to his mother with a soft look on his face and, as if reading his mind, Mrs. Oliver smiled at him before handing over the sleeping child. Upon receiving the bundle, Beck shifted slightly, cradling her in his arms.

"Hey, baby girl," he cooed, "I'm so glad that you're alright."

Jade smiled at her husband, knowing how relieved he was that Sophie was okay. She herself felt comforted in knowing that her niece was okay, but she still couldn't help but be brought back to Sophie's parents. What would happen if they didn't make it?

"Any news about her parents?" Beck asked, worried for the small child.

Mrs. Oliver's face contorted with grief as she looked to her husband, silently asking him to deliver the news. The exchange worried Beck and he could sense that things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Mr. Oliver looked hesitantly at his son before bearing the news. "They're not going to make it," he informed him, his voice barely above a whisper.

Beck felt his heart drop in his chest and his eyes widened in disbelief. He had assumed that this would happen, but he didn't want to believe it.

"Are you sure?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. Being met with the nod of his father's head, Beck reclaimed his spot in the chair and held his niece close.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl," he whispered to Sophie, fighting the lump in his throat.

Mrs. Oliver, knowing that Beck needed a moment to process the news, approached her son and offered to take her granddaughter. Beck gently kissed the baby's forehead, careful not to wake her up, before he reluctantly handed her back to his mother.

"Everything's going to be okay, Beck," she tried reassuring him. She couldn't stand to see him upset and wanted nothing more than to comfort him. He, however, didn't find her words to be very reassuring, and a hint of anger was evident in his eyes.

"Would everyone stop saying that?" he barked, clearly upset. Mrs. Oliver's eyes widened in surprise and she looked over at Jade, who wore a matching expression on her face. Beck was typically so calm and collected; it was rare to see him like this.

"How can you sit there and tell me that everything will be okay? Did you not hear him? They're not going to make it; they're going to _die_," he yelled, standing up from his seat.

"What's going to happen to Sophie? Her parents are going to be gone, but I guess that's okay, right?"

"Son," Mr. Oliver interrupted, approaching him. "I know that you're upset, but there's nothing else we can do; they've done everything that they possibly can, and nothing's worked. Do you think we're not upset? Do you think it's easy for me to hear this about my _child_?"

Just as Mr. Oliver finished his sentence, a distraught looking nurse appeared in the waiting room. The entire room fell silent and all eyes turned to the nurse in anticipation of the news.

"Mr. and Mrs. Oliver?" she asked, her voice somber. The nurse approached the couple and offered to take Sophie before bearing the news.

"I'm so sorry," she said, placing a hand on Mrs. Oliver's shoulder. "They've passed."

Mrs. Oliver could no longer fight the sob rising in her throat, and she leaned into her husband's embrace, allowing him to comfort her. Beck, too, could no longer fight back the unshed tears and after a mere glance at his wife, he felt as if he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Would you be alright to come back and sign the papers?" the nurse asked sympathetically, gesturing towards Mr. and Mrs. Oliver.

Beck's mother pulled away from her husband and wiped at her red-rimmed eyes before attempting a feeble nod. Complying with the request, Mr. Oliver grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed it reassuringly before leading her out of the waiting room.

"Oh, my God," Beck mumbled in disbelief, causing Jade to look over at him.

"Beck," she spoke up, carefully approaching her husband. Much to her dismay, he kept his gaze downcast and remained painfully quiet.

"Babe?"

Beck finally brought his head up and locked eyes with Jade, allowing for him to notice the tears that began trailing down her cheeks as well. Something about the silent exchange finally broke him and before he knew it he was in Jade's arms, with his head resting on top of hers.

"I'm so sorry, baby," was all she could say. Beck wrapped his arms tighter around his wife in an effort to relish any amount of comfort, but it was no use.

"Why them?" he managed to get out. "They're so young; they have a baby!"

"I know," Jade agreed, swallowing the lump in her throat. Not only was she upset about the news, but seeing her husband in such a state was beginning to frighten her.

As if he had suddenly realized the fate of his niece, he pulled back to look at Jade with a pained expression.

"What's going to happen to Sophie?" he asked in a small voice, causing Jade's eyes to well with tears.

"I don't know," she sighed, trying to keep calm for the sake of her husband. "I really don't know."

Beck began to sob as he gripped onto Jade, causing them both to stagger backwards a bit. Jade could feel his body trembling against her own and she tried desperately to calm him down, but to no avail.

"Let's go sit down," she offered, letting out a sigh of relief when he agreed. After claiming her seat, Jade wrapped her arms around Beck once again as she began to slowly rub circles on his back.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, not knowing what else to say. She wanted to assure him that everything would be alright, but they both knew that it was a lie; nothing was alright.

"I don't know what I would do without you," he muttered brokenly after a few minutes of silence, while he continued to sit in Jade's embrace. Tears sprung to her eyes as she heard the vulnerability in his voice and she squeezed him tight.

"I'm here for you," she reassured him.

Beck released his grip and looked down at Jade, a sad smile on his face. "I love you," he whispered before planting a kiss on her lips. After pulling away, he wiped at the tears making their way down her cheeks and, taking her hands in his, began absentmindedly tracing patterns on them in an attempt to distract himself.

"We need to discuss the situation with your son first, Mrs. Oliver," a nurse's voice could be heard from down the hall. Beck perked up slightly and turned his attention to the doorway, awaiting the entrance of his mother.

"Beck," she greeted her son upon stepping foot into the waiting room. Following close behind were a nurse and Beck's father, holding Sophie in his arms.

Beck stood up and slowly made his way over to his family, curious to know what they needed to discuss with him; weren't his parents supposed to be finalizing everything?

"Honey, could you come here for a moment?" Mrs. Oliver asked, gesturing to Jade. The woman cocked an eyebrow in confusion before complying with her mother-in-law's request. and strode over to join her husband.

"What's going on?" Beck asked warily, afraid for anymore news.

"You and Jade are claimed as Sophie's godparents," his mother informed him, getting right to the point.

"I know that," Beck answered, confused as to why this was being brought up.

"After Sophie was born, your sister and Cameron rewrote their will to ensure that Sophie would be taken care of if something were to happen to them. In the case of their death, they listed you and Jade as her legal guardians."

"Are you serious?" Jade asked in disbelief, absolutely shocked by the news. Her question was misconstrued and Mrs. Oliver began to explain other options.

"I know that you're both still very young, and it would be quite the responsibility to look after a baby, especially one as young as Sophie," she began to explain. "If it's something that you're unsure of, we can meet with their lawyers- arrange something else."

Beck's heart sank at the idea of Sophie being anywhere but in L.A. He knew that his parents would be capable of raising her, but he didn't know what he would do if she were so far away. He sure as hell couldn't picture her going into foster care, either; he would never allow it. Although it would be a big responsibility, he was willing to take it on. After all, he and Jade had discussed the idea of a family and although Jade wanted to wait, this was sure to be an exception.

"No, we can take care of her," he replied, taking his parents by surprise.

"Are you sure, son?" Mr. Oliver asked him. "Your mother and I have no problem taking care of her; we don't want you to become overwhelmed."

"What do you think, dear?" Mrs. Oliver asked, gesturing to Jade. Up until this point, Jade had been fairly silent throughout the whole conversation as she was still trying to process everything that was happening; to say that she was shocked would be a severe understatement. She agreed with her in-laws: taking care of Sophie would be a huge responsibility, one she wasn't sure that they were ready for yet. But, she knew how much Beck loved Sophie and even she couldn't picture the child living in a different country or in a foster home. She knew that she had always told Beck that she wanted to wait on starting a family, and that babies could be a nuisance, but she knew that she had to agree. For Beck. For _Sophie._

"I don't mind," she answered, causing Beck's eyes to pop out of his head. Jade West, _the _Jade West that was known for her dislike of children was agreeing to adopt their niece, and she hadn't even put up a fight. Beck couldn't believe it.

"Are you sure, sweetheart? I know you're not too crazy about children," her mother-in-law replied.

"I'm positive," she said with a smile. "Beck and I have already talked about starting a family sometime in the future. So it happened earlier than we had planned? I know how much Beck loves Sophie, and I love her, too, so I'm okay with this."

Beck smiled at his wife and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he didn't dare say anything for fear that she would change her mind.

"Well, I guess it's settled," Mrs. Oliver smiled.

"Once the required paperwork is filled out," Mr. Oliver added, "which shouldn't take too long."

Beck leaned in to kiss Jade's cheek before placing his lips next to her ear. "You sure you want to do this?"

Jade simply nodded her head, paying attention to what the nurse and Mr. Oliver were telling them about carrying out the guardianship process.

"I love you so much," he whispered into her ear, causing her to smile as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

She knew that they had made the right decision, and she was glad to see a smile on her husband's face; he loved Sophie as if she were his own child, and Jade had to admit: she was a damn cute baby. But the more she thought about it, the more panicked she became. How were they going to do it? They were too young to be parents and hadn't the slightest idea of what to do. As she continued listening to the other adults, she couldn't help but wonder, _what the hell did we just get ourselves into?_


	3. Chapter 2

"Come here, sweetheart," Mrs. Oliver cooed as she eased her granddaughter into her arms, rocking the fussy child in hopes of calming her down. It was still fairly early in the morning, and the last thing she wanted was to wake her son and daughter-in-law upstairs. After the accident, Beck had insisted that his parents stay with him and Jade, as it would be difficult to take care of Sophie using the minimal amenities provided in a hotel room. Although Mr. and Mrs. Oliver were hesitant at first, as they felt that they were intruding, they had agreed that it would be a good way for Beck and Jade to become accustomed to life with a child, a newborn for that matter.

Much to her grandmother's dismay, Sophie's cries only began to increase in volume and her bottom lip quivered with the sheer force.

"Shhh, Sophie," she hushed, trying to soothe her grandchild. It was no use, though, as Sophie hadn't calmed down in the slightest. As she began to walk around the room, in hopes that the gentle movement would pacify the child, an exhausted-looking Beck made his way into the living room.

Mrs. Oliver let out a sigh, feeling guilty for waking him. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't mean for her to wake you."

Beck gave his mother a small smile, not particularly annoyed by the disruption of sleep. He hadn't been getting much anyway since the accident, so it didn't bother him.

"How long has she been awake?"

"Couple of hours," his mother replied with a glance at the clock, which now read seven.

"Let me take her," he offered. Mrs. Oliver smiled at her son and with a nod of her head, she eased the angry newborn into her son's arms.

"We didn't wake Jade, did we?" she asked nervously. Anyone that knew Jade knew how upset she could get if her sleep was disrupted, and the last thing they wanted was a fussy baby _and_ a temperamental Jade.

"I think you're forgetting who we're talking about," Beck answered with a chuckle. "Jade's a heavy sleeper, she's fine."

Mrs. Oliver laughed at her son's remark, remembering the time he had told her about their trip to Yerba. If Jade could sleep through _that_, she shouldn't have any problems sleeping through Sophie's cries.

"Would you be alright alone with Sophie for a while? I was going to go for my morning walk."

Beck nodded. "I'll be fine. Besides, you need the break."

She smiled gratefully at her son before walking over and placing a kiss on Sophie's forehead. "Call me if something happens?"

"Everything will be fine, Mom. If I'm going to be her legal guardian, I have to have some time to practice with her," he reassured her. "We'll be alright."

Mrs. Oliver nodded and grabbed her phone off of the table before making her way to the door. "I won't be far," she reminded him before slipping outside.

Beck watched as his mother shut the door and then looked down to the upset baby in his arms. "What's the matter, princess?" he asked as he gently bounced the baby. "You're okay."

Realizing his efforts were useless, he began to glance around the room, looking for something that could possibly appease his niece. He figured that at a mere two months old there wasn't much that he could really do, but as he continued to look around, his eyes landed on the empty bottles that lined the counter.

"Bingo," he whispered, making his way into the kitchen. Beck began rummaging through drawers in search of the formula as quickly and quietly as possible, desperate to appease Sophie, and within minutes her cries had begun to die down. However, she was still obviously upset.

"It's almost done, baby girl," he reassured her before kissing her forehead. She scrunched up her nose in response, and Beck couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright," he said after placing a drop on his wrist. Knowing that it was okay for her to drink, he placed the bottle up to her mouth and was relieved when she took to it right away.

"You were hungry, weren't you," he chuckled, listening to her greedily sucking on the bottle before he carefully took a seat on the couch.

"You really know how to get what you want," he smiled, "just like your mommy." Beck sighed at the mention of his sister. It had been difficult for him to talk about her, Cameron, too, ever since their deaths, and after the funeral, he had tried not to talk about them as much, for fear of growing upset; he had to be strong for his parents, and for Sophie.

"You look just like her, too," he whispered, "your gorgeous eyes, your little nose," he continued, lightly tapping it. "Your parents loved you so much, Sophie. So, so much."

Beck held the little body close to his chest as she continued sucking greedily on the bottle, completely unfazed by the somber atmosphere. She looked up into his eyes as they began to shut, and the sucking ceased as she snuggled into her uncle's arms.

He sighed in relief, happy to know that he was able to soothe the formerly-fussy newborn and set the bottle on the coffee table as he positioned her upright against his chest; she was finally content.

* * *

Beck didn't remember when he fell asleep, or even if he did, but the sound of Jade's quiet laughter caused him to wake with a start. As he began to recover from his sleep-filled stupor, his eyes focused on a small object that Jade was quickly shoving back into her pocket. Her phone?

"What's that, babe?" he asked groggily, but was met by Jade's smirk.

"Payback," she shrugged. "You two just looked so cute, I couldn't resist."

Beck looked down at the sleeping bundle in his arms; in all honesty, he had completely forgotten that he had Sophie. "What time is it?" he mumbled, sitting up on the couch. Last time he had checked, it was seven in the morning, and his mother had left. He didn't even know if she had returned.

"Nine. By the way, your parents went to the store. They should be back soon."

Beck simply nodded, before asking, "Did you sleep okay?"

"Not really. I don't know how she did it, but Sophie was somehow able to wake me up."

"You slept through a war…but Sophie- a _baby_ – was able to wake you up?" he mumbled, expressing his confusion.

Jade shrugged as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. "That was soothing," she stated, referring to their trip to Yerba. "_That_ was not," she grumbled, gesturing to Sophie.

Beck couldn't help but laugh at Jade's reply, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Did you try to get to her before my mom did?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. Of course she didn't.

"I told you I'm not dealing with a crying baby; I don't know what to do with it," she retorted, causing Beck to sigh. "Besides: five in the morning? How could something so cute be so evil?"

"What are you going to do when my parents leave at the end of the week? I'm not doing this by myself."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she answered, seeming annoyed. She did not want to be having this conversation.

Beck just rolled his eyes as he stood up from the couch. He seemed hesitant with what he was about to do, but he knew that it would have to be done sooner or later and, of course, he chose the former. He turned to his wife, and before he could even ask, Jade began panicking; she knew what he was going to do.

"No. No, no, no," she argued, backing away from her husband.

"Jade, I need to get ready," he argued. "It won't take that long."

"Did you not hear what I just said? You can't leave me alone with a _baby_; I don't know what I'm doing!"

"All the more reason to practice," he quipped, as he shifted Sophie in his arms.

"But what if she wakes up? I can't deal with an upset baby; I don't want to listen to her cry."

"Then you try everything you can to make her stop," he reasoned, growing annoyed. "We agreed to be Sophie's legal guardians, which entitles _you_ to share the responsibility. This isn't going to be easy by any means, but, like it or not, this is our life now. She needs a family; she needs us."

Jade felt guilty as she listened to Beck, especially hearing the almost unnoticeable crack in his voice. She knew that he was right: she had agreed to be a legal guardian, without an ounce of a fight, even; although she had no idea what to expect, she knew what she was getting herself into.

She let out a sigh as she held her arms out towards her husband. "Hand me the baby," she growled.

A small smile formed on Beck's lips as he placed Sophie in Jade's arms. After she was situated, he gently placed a kiss on Jade's cheek before meeting her eyes- eyes filled with fear; uncertainty.

"You'll be fine, babe," he reassured her. "I'll just be upstairs if you need anything, alright?"

Jade huffed a high as she watched Beck trek up the stairs, and couldn't fight the anxiety that was beginning to set in. What if Sophie woke up? What if she started to cry? What if she wouldn't _quit _crying?

She began pacing the length of the living room, praying to God that Beck wouldn't take too long. He had never understood her feelings toward children, but maybe he would after his little "experiment."

"Dammit, Beck," she grumbled as she continued to walk around the room. While she didn't know much about children, she _did_ know that the gentle movements would help the newborn stay asleep, and the longer that she slept, the better.

Jade looked down at her sleeping niece and, while she would _never_ admit it, she couldn't help but fawn over her- couldn't help but smile at the newborn in her peaceful state.

"This can't be too bad, right?" she whispered to her. But, as if on command, Sophie began to stir in Jade's arms, causing her to come to a halt. She hoped that she would simply curl back up into her embrace and fall asleep, but, of course, Jade's luck ran short.

Much to Jade's dismay, Sophie's eyes fluttered open, and they wandered about her face as if she were confused. As she realized that it was no longer Beck that was holding her, and she wasn't able to recognize the face staring back at her, her bottom lip began to quiver, causing Jade to panic.

"Shit," she mumbled, unprepared to deal with a fussy baby. She grew tense as she braced herself for what was to come, yet it only made Sophie more upset; much like Jade, she was extremely uncomfortable.

Sophie began to whimper, unhappy in her aunt's arms. As a response, Jade tried rocking her, hoping that it would calm her down enough to fall back asleep, but it was futile at best.

"Don't cry," she begged, "Please don't cry." She wanted to kick herself for how pathetic she sounded, but as Sophie's whimpers dissolved into tears, it was the farthest thing from her mind; she just wanted her to fall back asleep.

"Of course," Jade sighed as Sophie's cries only increased in volume. She hoped that Beck would be coming back downstairs soon, but after realizing that not even ten minutes had passed, her frustration only grew.

"Stop," she groaned, her voice beginning to rise. Sophie seemed to sense Jade's frustration and her cries became louder- angry, almost.

"How can someone so small make so much noise?"

As Sophie wailed on, Jade didn't think that she could take it anymore. She knew that if she didn't figure something out soon, she would snap, and although she was frustrated beyond belief, she knew that it wasn't Sophie's fault.

"Why won't you stop?" she groaned, desperately bouncing the baby in her arms. At this point, she didn't know what she was more frustrated about: Beck leaving her alone with Sophie, or Sophie's inability to quiet down. Either way, she wasn't too happy with her husband, and was prepared to give him an earful when he returned downstairs.

Before she could utter another complaint, she noticed Beck making his way down the stairs and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of her savior. As he entered the room, she could see a smirk working across his features, which only angered her.

"You think this is funny?" she growled. "She's been like this ever since you left; I told you that I don't know what I'm doing!"

Beck's smirk immediately disappeared upon hearing the distress in his wife's voice, and he offered to relieve her of the unhappy baby.

"Well, what did you try?"

"I tried to rock her, but it didn't help. I didn't know what else to do!"

"Did you try feeding her?" he asked, as if it were the most obvious solution.

"What does it look like?" she seethed through gritted teeth. Was he seriously asking her this?

Beck smirked. "I'll take that as a no."

"This isn't funny, _Beckett_. I knew that I wouldn't be able to handle her alone."

"What do you expect to happen when my parents are gone? They're going back to Canada, babe. They won't be able to help out anymore."

"I don't know," she admitted, tossing her hands up in defeat. "I didn't think it was going to be this difficult."

"Well, we're just going to have to get used to it. And the only way to do that is to help take care of her. After all, she's technically our kid now."

And for once, Jade was silent; she was speechless. She knew that Sophie was now their full responsibility, it was written in a legal document. But hearing it out loud? That felt more official to Jade than some piece of paper. This was something she had to come to terms with, something that she had yet to wrap her head around: she was responsible for another human being other than herself. Despite Sophie not being hers biologically, Jade was now a mother, and she was terrified.

Too involved in her own thoughts, Jade had just begun to realize the peaceful silence that settled over the room; Sophie was finally content. While she was grateful, she couldn't help but feel a bit upset that she wasn't able to quiet the fussy newborn.

"Of course she quiets down for you," she mumbled under her breath.

Beck couldn't help but be amused by her remark. "Do I sense a little jealousy?"

"I am _not_ jealous! I just don't understand what makes you so special."

"She just doesn't know you as well as she does me," he shrugged, "just spend a little more time with her."

"I don't like when she cries," she retorted, causing Beck's brows to furrow in confusion.

"What?"

"That's all she does! Well, that and eat. You want me to spend more time with her, but it's hard to do when she's constantly upset. She's not exactly pleasant to be around when she's pissed."

"She lost her parents, Jade," he replied tersely, causing her to feel guilty for becoming so upset. "She may only be a couple of months old, but she still knows. She can remember voices, heartbeats…"

"Beck, I'm sorry," she apologized, making her way over to her husband. "You're right: she can't help it. I just don't understand how someone so cute can be so evil."

Beck wrapped an arm around Jade and pulled her close to him. He let out a laugh, and she looked up at him with a hint of annoyance, curious as to what he found so amusing.

"Did _the_ Jade West just admit that Sophie- a baby- is cute?" he asked with a smile.

"No, but _the_ Jade Oliver did. Why does it matter so much? She's my niece, of course she's cute."

"She's growing on you," he teased with a smile.

"So? It's not like I have a choice," she snapped, causing Beck to release her from his grip.

"Do you regret signing those papers?" He knew that this would be an issue. They hadn't even discussed the guardianship process together before agreeing to it, and there were still many concerns.

Jade let out a sigh. "No, I don't. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just… afraid," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I'm afraid, alright?" she exclaimed, tossing her hands up.

"I thought you said that you were ready?"

"I did," she reassured him, "I am. But I didn't know what to expect. And although I'm not the most nurturing person, I didn't expect it to be so damn difficult."

"It is going to be difficult for a while," he admitted, taking Jade's hand in his. "But we'll get used to it, and everything will be alright. I promise."

"But what about work? School?"

"Why didn't we discuss any of this before?" Beck sighed.

"Because Sophie needs us," she answered, causing Beck to smile. "Although it was an impulsive decision, it seemed like the best one."

Beck kissed his wife's cheek before letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "I love you, you know that?"

"Don't be such a sap," she replied, trying to fight a smile. She looked over at her niece lying contently in Beck's arms, and her smile grew. "She's so cute…when she's quiet," she admitted.

Beck smiled at his wife as he guided her over to the couch, allowing for her to lean on him."Everything's going to work out, babe. I promise," he reassured her, running his free hand through her hair. Jade sighed in content as she nuzzled Beck's shoulder, relishing the somewhat intimate moment.

"We're not going to be able to have any more alone time," she whispered in realization, causing Beck to go still. The thought hadn't even occurred to him until Jade had brought it up, and It was an unpleasant thought.

"We can make it work: I know our friends would be willing to help out, especially Cat."

Jade couldn't help but laugh, realizing how true Beck's statement was. Cat was beyond ecstatic to meet Sophie, and Jade knew that she would absolutely adore her.

"Especially Cat," she agreed, nodding her head.

"See? Even if we just need to take a relaxing night to ourselves, to reclaim our sanity, we have four highly eligible babysitters on hand."

"You won't be relaxing if I have anything to do with it," she muttered under her breath, causing Beck to smile.

"You're probably right, and I'm okay with that."

"This won't be easy," Jade sighed, "but we can do it. Even if it means having to tend to Sophie in the middle of the night, if it helps you, and it helps Sophie, I'll do it."

Beck gently placed a kiss on Jade's temple and pulled her closer to him. Although he felt somewhat reassured by her statement, he couldn't help laugh. Sure, Jade promised to help with Sophie, but when it came down to it, she's Jade West- Oliver- and she's never been one to give up sleep. He knew that he would be the one to get up with Sophie at three in the morning.

And when three in the morning rolled around, he was.

* * *

**There you go, chapter 2 :) I'm sorry about the wait, that took wayyy longer than it should have. :/ I kept rewriting the ending, but figured that it could work for the next chapter. Anyways, let me know what you think, or if there's something you want to see :)**


	4. Chapter 3

"Now remember, Beckett: make sure she stays on her current sleeping schedule. The last thing you want is a fussy newborn. Formula is in the cabinet, next to the fridge, and make sure you maintain her feeding schedule."

Beck continued to listen to his mother's nervous rants, and let out a soft chuckle. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver's stay had come to an end, leaving Beck and Jade alone with Sophie for the first time since the accident. Although he had reassured his mother not to worry, that he and Jade were completely capable of taking care of their niece, the reality of the situation was beginning to set in, and so was the uncertainty.

"If you don't stick to some type of schedule, it's going to make things unnecessarily difficult."

"Honey," Mr. Oliver interrupted his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Beck and Jade know what they're doing; you need to trust them."

"Thanks," Beck turned to his father. "And, besides, I'm used to difficult," he joked, earning an eye roll from Jade.

"You're right, I'm sorry," Mrs. Oliver gestured to her husband, "but leaving my own baby with a baby? Do you have any idea how nervous this makes me?"

"Why are _you_ nervous?"

"We're just so far away, sweetheart; we're not going to be of much help. And if something were to happen…"

"Nothing's going to happen," Jade reassured the frantic matriarch. "I've seen how Beck is with Sophie: he loves her too much to let anything happen to her."

Beck smiled at his wife and grabbed her hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. "Thanks, babe."

"You know, Jade," the older woman began, "you may not realize it, or even think you have the capability, but you're going to be an amazing parent. Your own parents may not have been the most loving or nurturing, but don't let that frighten you; you're not your mother, you're so much more, and I know that you're going to be an amazing mother to Sophie."

Jade couldn't fight the smile that spread across her face as she took in the other woman's words. Mrs. Oliver knew her all too well, and for once Jade wasn't upset by her unusual lack of unpredictability; it comforted her to hear such reassurance from someone other than her husband, especially from someone in which she had the utmost respect.

"Thank you," Jade muttered, slightly embarrassed. She wasn't used to receiving such compliments, and so wasn't entirely sure how to accept. Mrs. Oliver simply smiled at her daughter-in-law before wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug, and was relieved when the younger woman accepted.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. If you need anything, any advice or just someone to talk to, you call me, alright? I'll be there."

Jade nodded against the woman's shoulder before pulling away from her embrace, and she noticed the tears forming in her eyes. She gave Jade a small smile, and the sight effectively caused her own eyes to grow wet with tears. Despite her generally stoic personality, she couldn't help but feel emotional about her in-laws' departure, and there wasn't a doubt in Jade's mind that she would miss them, especially her mother-in-law. After all, she looked at her as more of a maternal figure than her own mother, and she was now leaving. Of course she was going to miss her.

"We better get going," the matriarch spoke softly, brushing away her tears. Her efforts appeared futile as the tears began to fall, and she wrapped her son in a warm embrace.

"We'll be back soon," she reassured him, "but until then, I know that you'll take such good care of Sophie. I'm so proud of you for doing this, and I know that your sister would be too; she would really appreciate what you're doing for her baby girl. I love you, sweetheart," she whispered before kissing his cheek and releasing her grip.

As the older woman stepped away from her son, Jade carefully stepped in and snaked an arm around her husband's waist, pulling him close. The simple gesture felt comforting to Beck-reassuring, almost- and he gratefully kissed the top of her dark curls. Although he wouldn't admit it, especially to his already nervous wife, he was beginning to question whether or not they had made the right decision. He was thankful that his parents were available to help with Sophie-to give them a crash course in parenting (which was more for his wife's benefit than his own) and as he watched the couple walk out the door, he knew that he would miss them terribly. Not just the extra help, but their company; it saddened him that they lived so far away, and especially now more than ever.

"I'm really going to miss them," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I know," Jade agreed, wrapping her other arm around her husband in an effort to console him. "Me, too."

"Do you realize that this is the first time we've been alone, I mean really alone, with Sophie?"

"I know. This feels so…"

"Real?" Beck finished, pulling back to look into Jade's eyes.

"Yeah. I mean, we're responsible for her; she's practically our daughter."

Beck nodded as if he were trying to adjust to their new reality, and he smiled as he watched Jade's eyes nearly pop out of her head.

"Oh, my God! I'm a mom!"

"Technically, yes."

"We're like…parents," she whispered, letting it sink in. Beck let out a laugh at her revelation, clearly amused. She, however, didn't find it so entertaining.

"How are you not freaking out about this? We're parents now, Beck. We're not just Aunt Jade and Uncle Beck anymore; we're responsible for an actual human being- a baby."

"And are you okay with that?"

"Surprisingly, yes," she admitted, earning a smile from her husband, who had reclaimed her in his embrace. Jade sighed in content as he began to trace patterns along her back, and she let her head rest on his chest as he kissed the top of her head.

"This is nice," he whispered, and Jade simply nodded into his chest as she breathed in the scent of his cologne, allowing for her body to relax.

"Do you think she's awake?"

"Well, she hasn't cried yet," Jade replied, earning a small laugh from Beck.

"You make it seem like that's all she does," he teased. A small pout formed on Jade's lips as she felt Beck release her from his comforting grip, and she watched as he made his way to the playpen that was set up on the other side of the room.

"Beck, I swear to God, if you wake her up," she hissed, not wanting to deal with a fussy baby. But it seemed as if he wasn't listening as he leaned over the side of the pen and gently lifted Sophie out.

"Dude!"

"She was already awake, babe. Relax," he informed her before looking down at the baby.

"Hi, gorgeous," he whispered, bringing her up to his chest. She immediately curled into her uncle's embrace, and let out a soft cooing sound to express her content.

"Has she ever done that before?" Jade asked, perking up. She wanted to kick herself for being excited about such a seemingly unimportant milestone, to her anyway, but she couldn't help but smile as the sound of Sophie's coos filled the room. Beck took note of her excitement, much to her dismay, and smiled at her as he crossed the room. "No, she hasn't," he answered with a smile, but then met her gaze with a smirk. "You seem happy."

"Contrary to belief, I'm not made of stone," she answered with a roll of her eyes. "It was…cute. I've never heard her do that before." As Jade finished speaking, Sophie let out a contented sigh, as if to emphasize her point and both Beck and Jade smiled at the baby's action. Jade couldn't care less about her tough front- Sophie was too damn cute for Jade to even feign disinterest, and her smile only continued to grow.

"Do you want to take her?" Beck asked, noticing the smile that remained on his wife's face. However, at Beck's words, Jade's smile fell and a hint of panic flashed across her face.

"Not after last time; no way."

"Jade, you're going to have to hold her at some point."

"I did, at the hospital."

"That was over two months ago; that doesn't count."

Jade let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that Beck was right: whether she liked it or not, she was going to have to take care of Sophie and, unfortunately at some point, without Beck's help.

"Is Jadey afraid of the baby?" he teased, which only angered her.

"No!"

"I just don't understand, what's the worst that could happen?"

"She starts crying, she's hungry, she spits up, she won't _stop_ crying. Shall I continue?"

"Jade," Beck started, trying to calm her down. He knew he shouldn't have egged her on, but, although he would never say it, he found her reaction amusing.

"What?" she snapped. She was growing tired of this conversation, especially since it seemed that Beck was right.

"Does this have anything to do with the conversation we had before? The day that Sophie was born?"

Jade didn't answer, but rather bit her lip as she contemplated telling him the truth; she didn't want to seem pathetic.

"Babe?"

"I just don't understand why she likes you so much. And, I know, I know, I should spend more time with her, and I will, I promise, but I still don't get it. I mean, what's going to happen when I have to take care of her when you're at work? I can't just dump her off with you; I'm going to have to figure it out by myself. Which I obviously can't."

"You're upset by this, aren't you?" Beck asked her, softening his tone.

"Well, yeah," she answered matter-of-factly.

"But, why?"

"What if she hates me?"

"You're really worried about that?"

Jade, dissatisfied by his answer, crossed her arms over her chest in frustration. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's just a baby, Jade."

"Yeah, so?"

"She's too young to understand that yet; she's two months old. Be patient, babe. She just needs to familiarize herself with you, that's all."

Jade closed her eyes, digesting Beck's words. Again, she knew that he was right, and she felt ridiculous for craving the affection of two-month-old baby.

"Give her to me," she whispered, opening her eyes.

Beck was completely shocked by her request, and the surprise was evident on his face. "Are you-"

"Hand me the baby," Jade demanded, obviously annoyed. The longer that he waited, the greater the chance she had of changing her mind. What was he waiting for?

Beck hesitantly complied and handed Sophie over to Jade, still questioning her request. "Are you sure?"

"What, you don't think I can handle it?"

"I never said that," he defended, holding up his hands.

"But you were thinking it!"

Beck just rolled his eyes in response before briefing his wife. "She hasn't eaten in a couple of hours, so she might be hungry. And, she's been fussy this morning, so don't get frustrated if she's upset."

"Okay, whatever," she replied with a shrug. She began to bounce the baby gently in her arms, in hopes of keeping her content, but felt uncomfortable as she felt Beck's constant gaze fixed on her.

"Is there a problem?"

He merely laughed and gave his wife a warm smile before kissing her cheek. "Not at all," he reassured her. The couple looked down at the baby nestled in Jade's arms, and Beck ran a hand over the tiny girl's head, kissing her forehead gently. "See? This isn't so bad."

"I guess you're right," she admitted as she lightly rocked Sophie. "She doesn't seem upset…yet."

"I wouldn't count on that lasting much longer," Beck teased, causing Jade to grow nervous. He could sense this, though, and immediately tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, babe. Don't be nervous, it'll be fine."

Just when Jade was beginning to get comfortable, and was beginning to think that Sophie wouldn't give her too much trouble, the baby girl began to stir in her aunt's arm as she let out a discontented whimper. Jade's eyes widened as she heard the first of Sophie's cries, and Beck watched on in anticipation of both of the girls' reactions. But Sophie's whimpers only grew louder, and Jade felt uncertain as to how she should soothe the fussy child. She assumed that a soft, soothing voice would help her situation, but she felt uncomfortable trying to comfort Sophie with Beck in the room; she didn't want him to see her acting so soft, nurturing. It was something that she was still trying to accustom herself to and, quite frankly, she was a little embarrassed.

"You're okay," she half-whispered, half-cooed, but Sophie didn't seem to be responding.

"Do you want me to take her?" Beck suggested, wanting to relieve his wife.

Jade just sighed, before answering honestly, "No. It's fine."

As if to counter her aunt, Sophie began to cry and Beck continued to watch for Jade's reaction; he didn't want her to snap.

"Don't you have something to do?" she snapped, clearly annoyed.

"Do you want me to have something to do? I can leave."

"I'm sorry," Jade sighed, feeling guilty for yelling at her husband. "I'm just nervous, and having you standing there, watching my every god damn move, isn't helping any."

"Alright, I get it," Beck agreed, smiling at her. "Do you want me to go somewhere? Get something?"

Jade pursed her lips as she contemplated her answer. "Could you get some Jet Brew?" she asked cutely, causing Beck to smile.

"Sure thing, babe," he answered before grabbing the keys off the shelf.

"Black with two sugars!"

"I know what to do," he chuckled. Of course he does: they've been together for seven years, and although Jade is highly unpredictable, this is the one thing that he knew for a fact would never change.

Jade just smiled at her husband as she watched him leave, and waited until she heard the definite click of the front door. After it seemed that he was out of ear shot, she looked down at the upset child in her arms and wanted nothing more than to comfort her and, now that she was alone, she felt that she could let her front down enough to do so.

"What's the matter, baby girl?" she asked softly, surprising herself. She'd never heard her voice so calm and gentle, unless she was dealing with Cat's antics.

"You're alright, baby girl," she found herself cooing to the newborn. "You're okay."

Jade's surprisingly soft, reassuring voice immediately began to soothe Sophie and her cries died down almost instantly.

"Thank God," she sighed in relief, happy that Sophie had quieted down. But as Jade began to revel in the miniscule amount of silence, Sophie began whimpering again.

"You're just not happy, are you?" she asked as she began to bounce the baby in her arms.

At this point, Jade didn't know what else she could do. Sure she could try rocking her again, but she knew that that would only get her so far and she couldn't rely on the same technique forever. Much like Beck had done before, she let her eyes wander about the kitchen counter until they landed on the row of clean bottles next to the sink. As she walked into the other room, she berated herself for not thinking of it earlier. After all, that's all Sophie seemed to do was eat.

And cry.

"Is that what you want?" she asked the newborn, not expecting a response, but as Sophie began to smack her lips together, Jade couldn't help but laugh.

"I thought so."

Before grabbing a clean bottle, Jade noticed Sophie's empty car seat that had taken residence next to the dining room table. She figured it would be easier to place her back in her play pen, but she found herself feeling anxious at the thought of her being out of her sight, and she needed to set her down in order to prepare the bottle, but she knew that as soon as she wasn't being held she would begin to cry. She also knew that she didn't have much else of a choice.

After getting Sophie situated in her car seat, Jade placed her in the center of the dining room table, ensuring that she could see her at all times. She may make her distaste for children quite clear, but she felt a little protective over Sophie; she was starting to grow on her.

Jade moved about the kitchen as she began to prepare the bottle. She had seen Mrs. Oliver do it before, but she hadn't been paying much attention. She convinced herself that she would never need to know how to do it, as if Sophie were to cry or need any attention other than to be held, she would hand her over to someone else- _anyone _else.

"Look how that turned out," she mumbled to herself after warming up the bottle. Almost as if Sophie knew that food was on its way, she began to whimper in anticipation, and it only made Jade more frantic.

"It's almost done," she assured the fussy child while testing the liquid.

_Perfect, _she thought.

As Jade made her way over to the car seat, Sophie began to squirm with frustration, eager to be free of her restraint.

"There you go," she soothed while easing her out of the seat. Upon seeing the bottle on the table, Sophie began to smack her lips once again as she demanded her food.

The nervous aunt eased Sophie into position in her arms as she placed the bottle up to her mouth, and felt relieved when she began to eat. When it seemed that Sophie was content, for the time being, she made her way over to the couch where she sat with Sophie in her arms and waited for Beck.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked the small girl. Although she was panicked at first, Jade had to admit: it wasn't as terrible as she had thought it would be.

Sophie continued to suck eagerly on her bottle, all the while keeping her eyes locked on Jade. It was almost as if she were trying to memorize her appearance. Jade couldn't help but feel something as her eyes connected with Sophie's, and a small smile graced her lips. She didn't think that it was possible- that she could love someone other than Beck- but it was. Sophie was starting to grow on her, and Jade was starting to realize how much she really loved the tiny baby.

"You're such a cutie, Sophie Boo," she cooed, not even caring how ridiculous she sounded. She smiled when Sophie scrunched up her nose in response, and she let out a laugh.

"Do you like that, baby girl?" Another scrunch of her nose.

Although Sophie wasn't her own child, something about this felt so natural to Jade. Her own mother was rather brusque and stoic and nature, so she was never exposed to much emotion. Jade knew how badly it hurt her to not gain her mother's affection, and she would never wish that upon Sophie; she wanted her to know that she loved her. And although she would never admit it, she loved her a lot.

"We never tell Uncle Beck about this, alright?" she whispered to her niece. The last thing she wanted was Beck's cheesy commentary, especially after she had made such a huge deal out of it. Jade knew that he was right, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. After all: she _was_ Jade West, and some things just never change.

* * *

**And there's chapter three. Let me know what you think! Or if you have any suggestions, let me know :)**


	5. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you'll be fine, babe?" Beck asked as he frantically gathered his belongings. It was his first day back to work since Sophie was placed in their care, and he was skeptical about leaving his wife alone with the almost-three-month-old. To say that Jade was nervous would be a severe understatement, as she was anticipating a repeat of the last time that she took care of Sophie, but she didn't want to seem incapable of watching their niece and so remained quiet.

Despite the overwhelming desire to beg him to stay, Jade simply nodded her head and her response seemed to suffice for Beck; she was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would find herself begging for her husband to take the day off. Although having a little one, she wanted to spend the day with him, simply relaxing and cuddled up together in their bed, just enjoying each other's company. Before Sophie, the thought would have never crossed her mind as she was always one to be on the go, but she felt too exhausted to even think of anything else that required even a minute amount of activity; she was drained.

"Cat's still coming over, right?" she heard Beck ask her, and she let out a soft sigh.

"As far as I know; she should be here in an hour." Despite her vain efforts to appear excited, Beck saw right through her act and he laughed at her seemingly displeased tone. "You don't seem too thrilled."

"I am. Don't get me wrong, I love Cat, and I do miss her, but I know that when she sees Sophie she's going to go absolutely insane," she explained, and Beck knew that she was right. Cat had been obsessed with the idea of Sophie since she was placed in her aunt and uncle's care, and they both knew that once she saw her, nothing and no one would be able to stop her from wanting to play with her, as she called it. Jade also knew that Cat would be competing for her attention.

"It won't be that bad."

"I'll let you know," she sighed, handing her husband the car keys that he had been searching for for the past half hour. She smirked as she watched his brows furrow in confusion, wondering where she had found them, but shrugged, sparing himself from any sarcastic comment.

"I should be home around dinner, unless things get hectic, but even then I'll let my boss know that I need to leave," he explained to Jade while bending down to grab his jacket. As he stood up, he noticed her standing with her arms folded across her chest and a small pout forming on her lips.

"Okay, why the face?" he teased, stepping towards her.

"I'm not making a face."

Beck sighed. "I'll be back, babe."

"You can't stay home today?"

"I wish I could, I'm going to miss my girl," he admitted as he wrapped his arms around Jade, "and you," he teased, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Why can't you? We could spend all day together, in bed, get Cat to watch Sophie," she offered, and Beck had to admit: the offer sounded tempting. "That sounds nice," he whispered playfully into her ear, clearly under the wrong impression.

"Hate to disappoint you, but we wouldn't be doing _that._"

Beck pulled back to look at his wife, eyeing her suspiciously. He felt his cheeks grow hot as he realized that Jade was indeed serious, and he laughed as he shook his head. "And on that note, I should get going." He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead as he dropped his arms to his side, and made his way over to the front door.

"If she seems impossible, call me, alright?" he asked her, though he knew she wouldn't; she was just as stubborn as she was the day that he had first met her. His thoughts were proved correct as he saw Jade shake her head. "We'll be fine. And besides, that's not fair to you. Just go, don't worry."

"Alright then," he announced, eyeing his wife skeptically. She seemed to be acting suspiciously cavalier, but he knew better than to pry. So, without saying anything else he slipped out the door, leaving his two girls alone.

Although Jade had assured him that she wouldn't have to call him-that she wouldn't need to rely on him if Sophie were to give her too much grief- it still seemed appealing as some sort of relief; Beck saw through her collected front, as usual. The more that she let his words sink in, the more she actually thought about taking him up on his offer. But, she also knew that that would be selfish: he was one of the few people she knew that actually enjoyed his job, and he had been talking about it incessantly since they had received Sophie. Relying on Beck, Jade realized, wasn't an option, and with a sigh she made her way over to the living room to where textbooks littered the couch. Before becoming Sophie's legal guardians, both Beck and Jade had been attending the University of Southern California as full time students, completing their final year and major: theater. But, after the accident, both had realized that being a full-time student, with a job and a child, seemed unrealistic- it was near impossible- and so both had decided to become part-time students, taking classes online. Although it would push back graduation, it seemed to be the most practical and the least stressful option.

Jade, knowing that she had some time to kill before Cat would be over, decided on finishing her massive amount of homework for her screenplay class- it would definitely keep her busy. As she reached over for her Pearbook, she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket and she let out a sigh. She knew exactly who it was, and she was annoyed. She whipped out her phone to read the text from her husband, asking her to please call if Sophie becomes too difficult, and scoffed. _I am capable, you know_, she replied before tossing her phone on the table. Why was this so hard for him to grasp?

As Jade began to **delve** into her books, she heard the ring of the doorbell and she quickly pushed herself off of the couch and nearly ran to the door, trying to get to her friend before she rang the doorbell again; Sophie had finally fallen asleep and she did not want her to wake up.

"Hi, hi!" Cat squealed as Jade opened the door. Her tiny hand dropped from where it was outstretched towards the offending button and Jade sighed in relief, thankful that she had gotten to the door in time. "I wanna see her! Where is she?" the bubbly redhead asked, craning her neck to peer around Jade.

"Cat!" the older girl hissed, "Sophie's asleep, and I'm trying to keep it that way."

Cat, knowing that she wouldn't be seeing the tiny child right away, jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. "But I wanna see her."

"You can," Jade assured her, "when she wakes up."

A smile lit up the younger girl's face and she skipped over to the stairs, only to be stopped by Jade. "That doesn't give you permission to wake her up."

"But-"

"She didn't get much sleep last night," Jade interrupted, silencing her friend, "so she's been a handful this morning."

"Kind of like you?"

Jade narrowed her eyes, clearly not amused, and replied with a harsh "No!" When she noticed Cat's saddened expression, her eyes softened and she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to see a picture?" she asked softly, hoping to cheer her up. It seemed to have worked, as the somber look that was cast over Cat's face was quickly replaced by a beaming smile, and she walked into the living room with her friend.

"Here," Jade told her, handing her Beck's Pearpad. She began scrolling through the pictures, and smiled at the outstanding amount of baby pictures that comprised the photo album.

"There's so many pictures!"

"Yeah, you can thank Beck for that. He's been obsessed with photographing her every waking moment. I swear, he's ready with the camera the minute her eyes open."

Cat smiled. It was easy to see how much Beck loved Sophie, and seeing the pictures only made her more anxious to meet her.

"She's so cute!" she squealed, fawning over a picture of Sophie in her crib, staring up at the camera with her dark brown eyes. Cat's desire to see the baby only seemed to grow, and she looked up at Jade with her pleading, doe eyes. Jade, however, knew exactly what she wanted and was quick to deny it.

"Cat, no. If you wake her up, you're going to be the one to deal with her."

"Okay!" Cat exclaimed as she pushed herself off of the couch. She didn't get very far though, as Jade placed a hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down.

"No," she commanded, keeping her voice soft yet firm. Cat knew that there was no use in trying to get past Jade, so with a sulk she reclaimed the Pearpad and began looking through the rest of the pictures. It wasn't long before she had found another one that had gained her interest, and it was also one that Beck had fallen in love with. Much to Jade's dismay, Cat had found the picture of her best friend holding Sophie, the day that she was born.

"Jade, look! You're in this one!"

Jade, hearing her name, looked over from her homework that she had resumed, and she felt her cheeks grow hot as she focused on the picture. "Ugh, yeah," she groaned with distaste, "of course he kept that picture. I look disgusting."

"No you don't," Cat countered honestly. "This is such a cute picture of the two of you. You love her a lot, don't you?"

The other woman hesitated, as she was taken aback by the question. It seemed to be fairly random, even for Cat, and Jade wasn't entirely sure of how to answer it. Cat placed the Pearpad down on her lap and looked up at her friend, expectantly awaiting her answer.

"Yeah," she finally answered, smiling slightly, "I do."

Cat smiled at her friend before looking back at the picture. Although Jade would forever deny it, Cat, too, noticed the smile on her friend's face as she looked down at the baby in her arms. She could tell from the picture that Jade obviously loved Sophie, and Cat felt happy for her best friend.

"I bet you're such a good mommy to Sophie, Jadey."

Jade cringed at the use of her special nickname, but was too distracted by Cat's comment to care. She felt guilty: she wasn't Sophie's mother, Kate was, and even though Jade was now technically- and legally- Sophie's mother, it still bothered her. All technicalities aside, she was also taken aback by the comment. Was she really a good mother, for lack of better words, to Sophie?

Not knowing how to respond, Jade simply smiled at her friend. "So, anything you want to do before the baby's awake?"

"Oh! Can we watch a movie?"

Her smile dropped at Cat's request, knowing that she would probably be spending the next two hours or so singing along to some infantile movie. She had never understood Cat's infatuation with Disney, and wanted nothing more than to deny her friend's request, but the longer that Cat was entertained, the longer that Sophie would remain asleep.

"Which one?" she asked warily. Rather than utter a response, Cat padded over to the special box of movies that Beck and Jade kept on hand just for her. She began to rummage through the myriad of Disney movies for what seemed like forever- which was probably attributed to Jade's growing annoyance- until she finally settled on an old favorite.

"Toy Story?" Jade asked, trying her best to feign interest. It was a rather vain attempt though, when a small groan escaped her lips as Cat held up the other two movies.

"We can have a marathon!" she giggled which caused Jade, despite her sour mood, to laugh.

"She's not going to be asleep for _that_ long."

"Do you think she's awake yet?" Cat asked, eager to see the child. It seemed as if she had forgotten about the dreaded Disney marathon, and her short attention span and persistency to see Sophie was only causing Jade's frustration to grow.

"No. Now do you want to watch this or not?"

"Yeah," Cat sulked, getting up to put in the movie. As she made her way back over to the couch, she reclaimed her spot next to Jade and nonchalantly leaned into her, making herself comfortable. While Cat clearly enjoyed the "cuddle time" as she called it, Jade was never fond of it and was growing increasingly annoyed. She leaned away from her friend immediately upon contact, but gave in when Cat looked up at her with sad, glistening eyes.

"Come here," she sighed, allowing for Cat to rest her head in her lap. The redhead sighed contentedly as she pulled a blanket around her small frame and curled into Jade's lap, when she began absentmindedly playing with her hair. It seemed as if both women were finally content.

As both friends found themselves beginning to drift off, a small sound was emitted from the baby monitor that sat on the end table. Jade, unlike Cat, seemed to have heard it instantly and she stood up from the couch with a sigh, causing Cat's head to fall from her lap.

"Why'd you get up?" she pouted, annoyed that she was no longer gaining her friend's attention. Jade simply sighed before reaching over to retrieve the baby monitor.

"Relax. Sophie's awake, do you still want to see her?"

Cat perked up and flung herself off of the couch, practically running up the stairs. It seemed as though she had forgotten all about the disruption, and the pout on her face was replaced with a beaming smile as she made her way to a room at the end of the hall. She could only assume that the room belonged to Sophie, due to the soft cries coming from inside and she quietly entered the room, making her way over to the crib.

"Hi, Sophie," she greeted the upset baby. It seemed as if Cat's soft, airy voice had some sort of soothing effect and Sophie's cries began to die down, much to Cat's delight. "Come here," she whispered, carefully lifting her out and bringing her to her chest. Sophie curled into her embrace, which prompted the redhead to gently rub her back as a soft whimper escaped her lips.

"What's the matter, baby?"

Just as she uttered the last word, Jade appeared in the room with a smile and set the baby monitor down on the changing table. "Hi, baby girl," she cooed, causing Cat to turn around. She had assumed that it was her that Jade was talking to, but when she noticed Jade's eyes fixed on Sophie, her smile turned into a frown. Jade didn't seem to notice, though, as she approached the two girls with her arms outstretched.

"Alright, hand her over; I have to feed her."

Cat, already unhappy, gave a small pout and reluctantly handed Sophie over to Jade. This time, she seemed to notice Cat's fallen expression and she placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. "You can hold her while I make her bottle," she offered her, and smiled when she noticed Cat's now perky expression.

"Kay kay!" she exclaimed, eagerly running down the stairs, Jade and Sophie trailing behind. As soon as she touched ground in the living room, she held her arms out expectantly and Jade handed Sophie over with a playful roll of her eyes.

"She's like a real-life doll!" Cat laughed airily, lightly tapping Sophie's nose.

"Be careful," Jade warned her in a stern voice. She knew that Cat would fall in lovewith Sophie, and that she would never let anything happen to her, but she still worried. After all, she seemed a little spacey.

"I won't let anything happen, don't worry," Cat assured her, not tearing her eyes from Sophie. Her assurance seemed enough for Jade and she left the two alone as she sauntered into the kitchen to prepare Sophie's formula.

While her friend was out of the room, Cat carefully placed herself on the couch with Sophie and held her close. "Let's try this again," she began, "Hi, Sophie. I'm your Aunt Cat." She knew that Sophie was too young to respond, and expected nothing more than a blink, so she was elated when Sophie began to kick her legs in acknowledgement of the redhead.

"Awe!" Cat squealed excitedly, "You're so cute!"

Sophie began to kick harder at the sound of Cat's voice and she let out a light cooing sound, seemingly forgetting about her hunger.

"Are you trying to talk?" Cat teased her, kissing her forehead. She pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures of the happy baby, and laughed as Sophie's eyes fixed themselves on the bright pink exterior of Cat's phone.

"Alright, play time's over," Jade interrupted as she entered the living room. She walked over to where Cat sat with Sophie and took a seat next to the girls, placing the bottle on the coffee table.

"She's so cute, Jadey," Cat admired, causing Jade to smile; she agreed wholeheartedly with her friend. She carefully took Sophie in her arms and resumed the movie, hoping to keep Cat entertained, now that she wasn't playing with Sophie. It seemed to work, too, as she gave her complete, undivided attention to the screen, while Sophie seemed completely enthralled with Jade (and her food). She smiled at her niece as her eyes bore into her own, and dropped her head to place a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"She really likes you," Cat spoke up, startling Jade. She hadn't uttered a word in the past twenty minutes and, in all honesty, Jade had forgotten she was even there. Cat's comment also startled Jade- it took her by surprise. She had always thought that Sophie had never liked her, which she had made quite clear, and that she preferred Beck over her. Although she found Cat's comment to be doubtful, it still made her smile.

"Well, I've got the food. Of course she does."

Cat just shook her head, smiling at her remark and watched as Sophie finished her bottle. "All done, baby girl," Jade whispered to her, setting the bottle down. Cat, again, grew upset, hearing her special nickname used on someone else. That was supposed to be _her_ nickname, something that only Beck and Jade were allowed to call her, not Sophie. Rather than say anything, she sank back into the couch in frustration, and watched as Jade lifted Sophie up against her chest. But before she could even think to grab the burp cloth that lay next to her, Sophie emptied the contents of her tiny stomach, effectively staining Jade's shirt and the tips of her hair.

Jade froze. Not only was she absolutely disgusted, but she hadn't the slightest idea of what to do- she had never dealt with something like this before. She snapped her eyes shut, praying to God that that hadn't just happened, but as she willed them open she noticed Cat's hands covering her eyes, peeking out between her fingers, which only confirmed her fear.

"Cat, hand me the rag," she demanded in a dangerously low and calm voice. Cat knew that she was frustrated and beyond disgusted, so she did as she was told, desperate to reverse the damage.

"Kay kay," she replied quietly, shyly handing the cloth to her friend. Jade hastily snatched it from Cat's outstretched hand and began to wipe herself and Sophie off, before she continued to burp the child.

"Do you want me to take her so you can change?" Cat offered, trying to help her friend. Jade, however, was still obviously upset and was quick to deny the offer. "No," she answered through gritted teeth. Cat flinched at her tone, but Jade of course didn't notice- she was too disgusted to care about her friend's feelings at the moment.

When it seemed that Sophie was done, Jade marched up the stairs to get herself and the baby cleaned up, leaving Cat downstairs by herself. Although she loved both Sophie and Jade, she was beginning to become annoyed: she had barely been able to see the baby. Rather than think about it any further, she turned her attention back to the movie and ended up finishing it before Jade returned downstairs with Sophie.

"She barely watched it," Cat grumbled, obviously upset. As she got up to take out the movie, she caught sight of Jade descending the stairs with a noisy Sophie; at least someone was happy.

"Are you mad?" Cat asked, taking a tentative stride towards her friend.

"Nope," she answered, popping the p; she was mad.

"Do you want me to take her?"

Jade let out a sigh. She knew how badly Cat had wanted to spend time with Sophie, which hadn't gone as either of them had planned, and she felt guilty as she realized that she hadn't been paying much attention to her fragile friend, either. So, with a smile, Jade carefully handed Sophie over, who had taken an immediate interest in the new face.

"What do you see, pretty baby?" Cat murmured, smiling at the baby in her arms. Sophie's eyes remained locked on the woman's face as she began to move her arms and legs, causing Jade to laugh. "You're just so happy today, aren't you?"

Sophie began to coo at the sound of Jade's voice, as if recognizing the owner, but her eyes remained fixed on Cat.

"She must see something she likes," Jade said, curious as to what held the baby girl's attention.

"I'm not sure what she's looking at, but she was like this earlier."

Jade continued to watch the interaction between her best friend and Sophie and watched as a strand of Cat's red velvet hair fell over her shoulder. Sophie seemed mesmerized by the bright color, and let her eyes wander over to where the hair had fallen.

"I think she likes your hair," the older woman noticed as she reached for the strand. Cat smiled down at Sophie as she brushed the strand over her face, giggling when her tiny nose scrunched up as a response. "She's adorable!"

Jade, enjoying the interaction and also finding it adorable, decided to take a quick video of it to send to Beck- show him that things were going well. As she sent the message, Cat looked up from a happy Sophie with a serious look on her face, startling Jade. "What's it like? You know, having a baby?"

Jade cocked an eyebrow, seeming taken aback by the question. She wasn't really sure how to answer, so she settled for, "it's…different," hoping that it would suffice.

"Good different, or bad different?" Cat asked, prodding her friend. It was obvious that Jade's previous answer hadn't been enough for her.

"I don't know, just different," she answered honestly, letting her eyes wander to Sophie. "It was a lot to adjust to at first- it still is. I mean, I'm responsible for someone other than myself, and it's pretty nerve-wracking. But, despite her annoying desire to eat every waking hour, and her inability to sleep through most of the night, it's worth it. I never thought that it would be possible, but I love her a lot. She's like my baby."

"Awe, Jadey!" Cat beamed at her friend, happy to see a much softer side of her normally brusque friend.

"Stop," she threatened.

"Why? It's so sweet!"

"_Never_ associate me with that word, and never tell anyone what I told you, alright? Not even Beck."

"Why are you afraid to let people see this side of you?"

Jade's eyes widened in response, shocked by Cat's revelation; sure, the two had been best friends for over fifteen years, and they could read each other like an open book, but it still didn't stop that from surprising Jade. Cat was seeing right through her.

"I just don't want people to think I've gone soft. I'm still Jade West, after all, and taking care of Sophie isn't going to change that," she explained, keeping her eyes locked on the baby.

"What else?" Cat pried, knowing there was more.

"Why the sudden interest?"

"You seem to have no problem letting your guard down around me."

"You're my best friend," Jade reasoned with a smile, "and I know that you won't judge me."

"Beck wouldn't judge you," Cat countered, causing Jade to sigh.

"You're probably right. I guess I just feel…weird around him, I don't know. He seems to take to Sophie so well, and he seems to know what he's doing; she definitely prefers to be taken care of by Beck. I, on the other hand, let's just say I'm not him. And, you know my parents. They weren't exactly the most nurturing or affectionate; I don't really know how to act that way towards someone else. It's hard for me to express my affection, and I'm afraid that I'll fail Sophie as her aunt-I guess, mother- because of that. I want her to know that I love her; I don't want her to _ever_ doubt that. But I just worry that sometimes I don't show it enough- that I can't show it enough."

"Jadey," Cat sighed, moving closer to her friend, "you shouldn't be afraid of that; you're not your parents. I know that you're afraid that you'll turn out like them, but you won't. You love Sophie so much, and you obviously care about her. I know you do. I've only been here for a few hours, but I can already see what I good mommy you are to her."

"Come here," Jade smiled, feeling thankful for her friend. Despite Cat's usual antics, she knew when to be serious and when she was, she always knew exactly what to say. Cat happily obliged and allowed Jade to wrap her arms around her and Sophie.

"Thank you, baby girl," she said before resting her head on her friend's shoulder. Cat simply smiled, happy to have cheered up the previously upset woman, and let her head fall atop of Jade's.

"So, when's Beck supposed to be home?" she inquired after a few minutes of silence; they had both become enthralled with Sophie and, honestly, didn't mind the silence that had ensued their conversation.

"He said around dinner, so probably about six-ish. But I wouldn't be surprised if he gets home late."

"So when he's at work, you're going to be alone with Sophie all day?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I'll mind," Jade answered honestly. "It's kind of nice being alone with Sophie, you know, have some one on one time.

"And you still have time for school and work?"

"School? Yes. Work? I'll let you know. Until we find a baby-sitter, I don't feel comfortable going back."

Cat whipped her head up from her friend's shoulder and looked at her with pleading eyes. "I could do it!"

"I don't know, Cat. It's a lot harder than it seems."

"It doesn't seem _too_ bad," she argued.

"She's been unusually happy today. She's not always like this."

"Pleasy?" Cat begged, jutting out her lower lip in a pout.

"Tell you what: when Beck and I need a date night, I'll call you, alright? It'll be like a test run- if you can handle Sophie for a couple of hours, where we would be able to come home right away for any kind of emergency, then I might just take you up on your offer."

"Kay kay!" Cat squealed as she lightly bounced up and down on the couch, forgetting about the baby in her arms.

"Be careful!" Jade hissed, causing Cat's bouncing to come to a halt.

"Sorry," she muttered sulkily.

Jade sighed, feeling guilty for making her upset. "Just be more careful, okay?"

Cat complied with a slow nod of her head, and watched as Jade started the next movie in the dreaded trilogy. "I thought we weren't going to watch them all," she spoke up, confused.

"Do you not want to? I could turn it off," Jade teased, and she laughed as Cat immediately shook her head. Making her way back to the couch, she reclaimed her spot and felt herself smile when Cat, with Sophie in her arms, leaned into her embrace.

When the credits began to roll, Jade noticed that Cat had become rather still, and Sophie rather quiet; Cat had fallen asleep with Sophie, who seemed to be drifting off as well. She gently lifted the baby out of her friend's arms, careful not to wake either of them, and moved Cat so that she was lying down on the couch. After placing a now-sleeping Sophie in the playpen, Jade started in on making dinner, knowing that if she were to fall asleep, it wouldn't be getting done before her husband came home. She ended up settling on Spaghetti: an easy fix, and one of Beck's favorites, and once it was made and placed in the fridge, she glanced at the clock, noticing that Beck would be home in a couple of hours. She walked back over into the living room and took notice of Cat as she slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Jadey?" she asked in confusion.

Jade let out a laugh as she lifted Sophie out of the playpen and turned back towards her friend. "Do you want to go upstairs?" she offered, knowing that she would accept. Just as she had expected, she was met with the eager nod of Cat's head and the two made their way up the stairs and into the master bedroom. The two women carefully situated themselves in the bed, placing Sophie between them, and Cat was asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow. Jade gently brushed the hair out of her face before bringing Sophie up onto her chest and placing a tender kiss to her forehead before finally falling asleep herself.

* * *

Beck quietly slipped through the front door. Judging by the lack of replies that he was receiving from both Cat and Jade, he had figured that they had taken Sophie somewhere. But the presence of both cars in the driveway caused Beck to grow curious as to where everyone was. He figured that he had a pretty good idea, and he made his way up the stairs, approaching Sophie's room at the end of the hall.

"Babe?" he whispered, peaking his head through the cracked door. After not earning a response, he slowly opened the door to see an empty room. "Where the hell," he began as he left the room, walking across the hall and to the master bedroom. He sighed in relief as he took in the sight of the three girls fast asleep and he made his way over to Jade's side of the bed. "Hey, babe" he greeted her with a kiss, "I'm home."

Jade responded with a soft grunt, which amused Beck, and he kissed Sophie's tiny cheek before making his way into the guest bedroom next door. Although it killed him not to be able to sleep with Jade in his arms, or Sophie, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Sophie curled into Jade's chest; it was sweet. He knew that her attitude towards Sophie was beginning to change, and that night he fell asleep with a smile at the thought of their little family.

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for the favorites/follows, and kind reviews :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always, let me know what you think!**

**Oh, and LIZZIE MCGUIRE IS ON! Right in the childhood. **

**That's all :)**

**-Meghan**


	6. Chapter 5

"Beck."

The word barely escaped Jade's lips as she pressed her face deeper into the pillow, trying to suppress the sounds of Sophie's cries. Her efforts fell short as Sophie only grew louder, and her patience thinner-Beck should've been the one to get up, but after hearing countless "I'll get her next times," Jade was beyond frustrated and about ready to give up. Had she not been so exhausted, she would have personally dragged him out of bed and into Sophie's room across the hall- force him to keep his word- but she didn't have the energy. She was drained.

"Beckett," she hissed, harshly nudging his side. She could've sworn that she saw him move, as if to finally get up, but he remained still. Just like he had every other night for the past few days, as he claimed to be too exhausted from work.

"Get your ass out of bed," she groaned, sitting up from her spot. She reached behind her to grab her pillow, and in one swift movement brought it down on her husband's face, hoping to startle him awake.

Nothing.

"Don't worry, I'll get her. Again," she mumbled before slipping out of bed. As she trudged over to the door she flashed a mischievous-albeit delirious- grin and flipped on the light, feeling satisfied when she saw him bring the pillow over his face. "I know you're awake. There's no way that you're sleeping through this."

Jade slowly made her way across the hall and into Sophie's room, hoping to quiet the baby. She had no idea why, but ever since Beck had gone back to work, especially over the past few days, the three-month-old had been having a difficult time sleeping through the night.

So was Jade.

Sophie seemed to be up every couple of hours and after finding that nothing would pacify the baby girl, Jade would remain in her room, rocking her until she would fall back asleep. As each night continued to fall under the same routine, she didn't know how much more she could handle. Receiving a solid three hours of sleep every night, taking care of a baby, a house, and schoolwork was proving to be too much for the young woman and by the exhausting week, she felt as if she would break down at the drop of a hat.

* * *

"Jade."

Beck called out to his wife, bringing his face up off of his pillow to turn towards her. He half-expected to meet her tired gaze, but wasn't surprised when all he heard was the soft snores coming from her side of the bed; he knew that she was exhausted. Sophie had had a particularly rough night the night before, and seemed to be awake through most of it; so was Jade. Although Beck was home to help, he claimed to be too tired from a long day at work and was quick to tune out Sophie's cries. And Jade's frustration.

Careful not to wake her, Beck rolled over and dropped a kiss to her cheek before slipping out of bed. He figured that Sophie would be waking up soon, again, and wanted to give his exhausted wife a bit of a break. As he made his way into the baby's room, he leaned over the crib and realized that he was correct- Sophie was awake- and he was relieved that he had gotten to her before she had begun to cry.

"Good morning, princess" he greeted her with a smile, rubbing her tiny stomach. She seemed content at the moment and Beck smiled as she cooed at his touch, prompting him to lift her out of the crib. "Let's try not to wake your Aunt Jade up, alright?" he whispered to her, making his way to the living room. "You've been giving her a hard time lately. I don't know why you think you need to be awake half the night, but now so is she. Take it easy on her," he teased, laughing as he watched her face contort with confusion. "That's what I thought."

Once he felt that she was content, he placed Sophie in her playpen to try to start-attempt- breakfast. Cooking wasn't his strongest point, and Jade had never failed to remind him of this, but he figured that she would be more agitated if she were to wake up to no food, or worse: no coffee. After feeding Sophie, and after many pans of burnt food had made their way into the garbage, Beck, with Sophie, made his way upstairs to check on a sleeping Jade.

"Babe," he whispered, walking over to her side of the bed. He noticed her dark curls splayed out from under the pile of linens and placed a hand on what he assumed to be her shoulder, shaking it gently. Although seemingly fast asleep, she flinched at the touch and turned over, causing Beck to smirk.

"I think it's time for Aunt Jade to wake up now. What do you think, Soph?" he asked his niece, placing her in the bed next to Jade. Conveniently enough, her arm had been outstretched towards Beck's side of the bed and proved to be in the perfect position to place the baby girl. He placed a few pillows around her tiny frame to ensure that she was secure, and he held his breath, expecting Sophie to dissolve into a fit of tears; he still had no idea how well the girls were taking to each other, and how much more comfortable Sophie was beginning to feel around Jade. Although it was clear that the child still preferred to be handled by Beck, she never fussed when she was handed over to Jade, which held true as Beck stepped away from the bed.

"I'll be right back, Sophie," he assured her before dipping out of the room. He figured that it wouldn't take very long for her to become upset, and he was right: after realizing that she wasn't receiving anyone's attention, Sophie began to squirm uncomfortably. A faint whimper escaped her lips as she tried to gain someone's attention-anyone's- but Jade did didn't seem to notice. But as Sophie's whimpers became louder, and her movements stronger, Jade began to acknowledge the presence next to her.

"Beck?"

Sophie, hearing someone's voice, whimpered louder this time and Jade instinctively brought the tiny girl up onto her chest in one swift, gentle movement. "Shhh, Sophie," she hushed her as she began rubbing circles on her back. It hadn't even occurred to Jade how or when Sophie had been placed in their bed- she was too tired. Thankfully, Sophie's cries immediately dissolved and she let out a contented sigh, curling up into Jade's chest; she was finally receiving someone's attention.

Jade smiled deliriously and kissed the top of Sophie's tiny head, before letting her eyes wander to the bedside alarm clock. She groaned when she noticed that it was only eight o'clock and although it was late compared to most days, she hadn't gotten a solid night's sleep in almost two months; she was drained, and she was frustrated. Couldn't Beck have taken care of Sophie until she had woken up? After all, he did have the day off.

Knowing that she would have to sacrifice sleep for another day, she let out an elongated sigh and sat up in her bed. "Hi, Sophie Boo," she whispered to her, kissing her forehead. She had to admit, Sophie was damn cute, and she loved her a lot, but that wasn't going to prevent her from giving Beck an earful when she found him downstairs.

After a quick change of Sophie's diaper, she made her way onto the first floor and was greeted by the familiar aroma of coffee. She also recognized the more familiar aroma of burnt food and she wrinkled her nose in distaste before making her way into the living room, where she was greeted by Beck.

"Good morning, babe," he greeted her with a smile, wrapping his arm around her frame. "I'm sorry if Sophie woke you up."

"Whatever," she sighed, handing their niece over to Beck. "It's not like it's different than any other day." Jade watched as Beck's smile fell, but she didn't feel guilty; they both knew that she was right.

"Coffee's fresh," he spoke up, hoping to put Jade in a better mood, "and I attempted breakfast."

Jade smirked. "Attempted being the operative word."

She turned her attention to her large coffee cup that she had been using every morning, and filled it to the brim, making sure to collect every last drop. She shook the upside-down coffee pot and Beck chuckled as she hastily filled the mug.

"Rough night?" he teased, but he regretted it the moment the words left his lips. He nervously awaited her reply as she gulped down the burning liquid, nodding her head in annoyance.

"What tipped you off? The excessive amount of coffee, or the fact that I was up with her every damn hour of the night?"

"You could've woken me up."

"Yeah, right," Jade snorted, "Like I didn't try; you're impossible to wake up."

"I was exhausted."

"_You_ were-"

"Look," Beck sighed, "I don't want to fight right now." His comment effectively silenced Jade and she took a deep breath, trying to bite her tongue. She was still upset, but knew enough to drop the situation. For now.

"Whatever," she agreed, her way of apologizing. She placed her cup in the sink and stumbled over to the fridge, desperate to find anything edible for breakfast. When she couldn't find anything, she dragged herself over to the couch, exhausted, and curled up under the blanket. Beck watched as she collapsed onto the couch and followed her over, setting Sophie down before kneeling in front of his wife. "Babe," he sighed, sweeping the hair from her face. She knew that he felt bad for the argument, even though she had initiated it, but she didn't want to deal with him at the moment; she was exhausted, and she was frustrated.

"No," she seethed, pulling the blanket up and over her face.

"Jadey," Beck whined as he tugged at the blanket. She absolutely hated the nickname, so he knew that she would give him her attention. Just as he thought, she let out a dramatic groan before tossing back the blanket. "Don't call me that."

Beck simply laughed at her attempt to scold him. He would've felt a tiny more threatened had a yawn not escaped her mouth.

"Scoot over," he requested, causing Jade to sigh; she just wanted to be left alone. So, rather than comply, she stood up from the couch and started toward the stairs, where she was stopped by Beck.

"What are you doing, babe?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm trying to get some sleep," she snapped.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, leave me alone."

His face fell at Jade's comment, causing her to feel guilty for snapping. "I'm sorry," she apologized, pressing her face into his shoulder. He simply held her tight, silently accepting the apology, and began to trace patterns along her back. Jade let out a contented sigh. She loved it when he held her, silently reassuring her that everything would be alright, and she brought herself closer to him. As Beck felt her arms wrap tightly around his neck, he kissed the top of her dark curls and simply held her, hoping to lull her back to sleep. Just when she was about to slip under, Sophie began to cry from her spot in the playpen and Beck felt his wife sulk in his embrace.

"Seriously?"

"Don't worry, babe. I'll get her," he assured her, causing Jade to let out a sigh of relief.

"What's the matter, Sophie?" he asked the upset child, lifting her out of her playpen.

"Didn't she already eat?" Jade asked him, confused, and he nodded his head.

"Diaper?"

"You could check, but I already changed her," she told him, and he gave her a perplexed look.

"But then what-?"

"Maybe she just wants to be held," Jade cut in, matter-of-factly.

"I'm doing that, Jade, but she's still not calming down."

As if she could sense the tension in the room, Sophie's cries became louder and Beck tried desperately to get her to stop. "Baby girl," he cooed, rocking her gently. But it was no use, and Jade had had enough.

"Hand her to me," she demanded groggily, but Beck seemed hesitant.

"Are you sure?"

"Just give her to me!"

Sparing himself from further yelling, Beck complied with Jade's request and handed Sophie over. He tossed her a skeptical look as she situated the baby in her arms, but she didn't seem to notice- she was too focused on calming Sophie down. She began bouncing the angry baby in her arms and headed upstairs, wanting to be far from her husband; she was still upset with him, but more importantly, she still felt uncomfortable handling Sophie around him. Once she had made her way into the baby's room, she sat down in the rocking chair and gently began rocking the upset baby. "What's the matter, baby girl?"

She was obviously unhappy about something, but Jade couldn't seem to figure out what.

While Jade was upstairs, flustered, Beck plopped down on the couch with exhaustion- tired from lack of sleep, and tired of the fighting. He felt guilty for upsetting his wife, he knew that she was right, and he half-wanted to go after her. He also knew better. He knew that if he did, she would only be more upset, and that was the last thing that he wanted.

He settled on giving her some space and brought himself forward, placing his head in his hands. As he did so, he noticed Sophie's baby monitor on the table in front of him and a thought crossed his mind, yet he was quick to decide against it: he couldn't listen in on Jade- she was a very private person, and he knew that if she were to find out, he would never hear the end of it. But curiosity seemed to have gotten the better of him and after a quick glance around the room, he turned on the monitor, allowing for Jade's voice to fill the room.

"You're alright Sophie," she soothed the baby girl. All of her other efforts to pacify the child were unsuccessful, and she didn't know what else she could possibly do. She settled on something that she had seen Mrs. Oliver do several times- sing softly- and she began rubbing up and down the baby's back, while mumbling some song she had used on Cat during one of her episodes. Jade's soothing voice, coupled with the gentle rocking motion, seemed to calm Sophie and her cries finally began to die down.

"I love you so much, Sophie," Jade whispered to her, kissing the top of her head. Sophie nuzzled Jade, as if to respond, and she cradled her against her chest with a contented sigh.

Downstairs, Beck set the monitor down and leaned back into the couch, feeling his heart swell. Of all of the things that he had expected to hear from the other end of the monitor, Jade's soothing voice wasn't one of them, especially when dealing with a baby; he half-expected to hear Sophie's cries accompanied by a long string of profanities due to Jade's frustration, and he was shocked.

"I know, Uncle Beck's so mean," he heard her coo, referring to the upset state he had left the baby in. He rolled his eyes, slightly offended by her comment and wanted to reply with some sarcastic remark about how Sophie clearly preferred him, but it was a touchy subject for Jade so he decided against it.

"But don't worry, I've got you," she reassured the unhappy baby, and Beck was amazed as Sophie's cries lessened. How was she doing this?

"You're okay, Sophie Boo," he heard her say quietly, and he couldn't help but smirk at the nickname. Although he found it cute, it was different to hear it coming from Jade's mouth.

"All better, huh?"

Sophie's cries had ceased all together and Beck sat back, amazed. She had actually gotten Sophie to quiet down, and without the yelling or cursing that Beck had expected. Upstairs, the baby curled up into her aunt's arms and Jade continued to rock her until she was sure that she was fast asleep- it had taken a while for Sophie to calm down, and Jade didn't know if she could handle it again. Not on a limited amount of sleep.

After she was sure that Sophie was asleep, Jade carefully placed her back in the crib before walking back downstairs. She felt dead on her feet as she felt the sleepless nights catching up to her, and she collapsed on the couch next to a rather smug-looking Beck.

"What?" she yawned, not wanting to deal with his sarcastic comments. Rather than answer, Beck just smirked as he tossed her a teasing glance.

"Look, I'm not in the mood so whatever it is…" she began to say, but trailed off as she noticed the baby monitor on the coffee table.

"How long has this been out here?"

"Long enough," he answered with a smile, and he watched in amusement as Jade's eyes nearly doubled in size.

"Were you listening to me?!" she fumed, sitting up on the couch.

"Shhh, Jade. You wouldn't want to wake Sophie Boo, would you?"

Jade felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, and she was beyond frustrated. "I can't believe you."

"What?" he asked as if he were innocent.

"You say that I'm avoiding Sophie, and that I should bond with her, but now that I am, you give me shit for it?"

"Babe-"

"And Cat wondered why I've been so guarded," she muttered under her breath, but Beck had heard her.

"What does Cat have to do with this?"

Jade sighed, clearly agitated. "I told her that I was afraid to handle Sophie around you, because I thought you'd judge me," she muttered, looking down at her lap. "Cat _swore_ you wouldn't, but I knew better."

Beck felt guilty as he listened to Jade's confession, and he knew that she was right. But it wasn't as if he was judging her per se, it was just different to see-hear-this side of his wife.

"Jade-" he tried to apologize, but was interrupted once again.

"On top of that, I'm trying so damn hard to take care of her while you're gone. And when you're home, it's no different. Would it kill you to get up with her _once_?"

"Jade-"

"I know, I know, 'I'm tired too,'" she mocked. "And I'm not? I know that I'm not working right now, but I'm exhausted nonetheless. I've been up with her every single time, every night, for the past couple of weeks. I'm tired, too." By this time, Jade's voice was growing thick; she was clearly upset over this. "I haven't gotten a solid's night sleep in almost two months, I've collectively slept twelve hours over the past five days, and I…I…"

"Jadelyn," Beck cut in, finally gaining her attention. She stopped her rant and looked up at him, unhappy at the use of her full name, and Beck noticed her eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears. It startled him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her in an effort to console her, and began to whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

"It's okay, babe," he reassured her, feeling her nod faintly against his chest. Although trying to assure him that she was alright, Jade felt as if she was in hysterics (which Beck attributed to lack of sleep) and he began to stroke her hair to calm her down. "Shhh, settle. Settle."

After a few moments, Beck's soothing voice seemed to have brought Jade back, and he pulled away to look at her, ensuring that she was alright.

"You okay?" he asked her, concerned by the outburst. He wiped away a tear that had begun to fall, and waited patiently for an answer.

"Yeah," she muttered, feeling embarrassed for losing her composure. This wasn't like her.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Not anymore," she smiled, embarrassed, and Beck reached out to grab her hand.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," he apologized, "that wasn't my intention by any means. It just took me by surprise, especially hearing that from someone who seems so anti-children. Hearing you with Sophie, it was so sweet, and I don't want you to feel embarrassed to be that way with her around me.

"And you were right: I haven't been helping much after work. I am tired, but I know that you are, too. You do so much when I'm gone: taking care of our beautiful niece, taking classes, cleaning the house, _and_ making sure that dinner is done before I'm home. You're amazing."

"You're being cheesy," Jade joked, rubbing at her eyes, but she smiled at him as her cheeks flushed a deep red. "But, I love you. Thank you.

"And, I'm sorry for my little outburst. I'm not quite sure what that was about," she admitted, but a yawn escaped her throat when she finished, causing her to smirk. "Okay, I think I have an idea."

"You need to get some rest, babe."

"I know," she sighed as she went to get up from the couch. Beck, though, decided against it and he wrapped his arms around her frame, sweeping her off of her feet.

"What are you doing?" she laughed, too tired to protest.

"Taking you upstairs," he answered with a smile, and she buried her face into his chest as he carried her upstairs. Upon arriving in their room, he gently placed her down on the bed and pulled the covers up and over her frame.

"I'll be back, I'm going to check on Sophie," he informed her before slipping out of the room. Jade managed a weak nod of the head and within seconds of him leaving the room, she felt herself drifting off. Beck quietly reentered the room a half an hour later and slipped into bed next to his wife, wrapping his arms around her frame.

"What took so long?" she whispered, almost inaudibly.

"She was awake, and seemed upset. But don't worry, I took care of her."

Jade smiled, grateful for her husband, and a content humming sound escaped her lips; it was her way of saying thank you. As she felt herself doze off again, Beck began to trace patterns along her shoulder and leaned in to place a kiss to her cheek.

"I love you so much," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.

"I know," she replied, before adding, "I love you, too."

* * *

**Thank you guys for reading and reviewing. As always, please let me know what you think. :)**


	7. Chapter 6

"Come on, Sophie. Can you smile for me, baby girl?" Beck coaxed, sitting on the bed. In the past twenty or so minutes that Jade had been downstairs, he had been trying to earn a smile from the baby girl. He had come close on several occasions, and knew that it would only be a matter of time before he witnessed the toothless grin he had been waiting for. He scratched the baby's stomach in another attempt and listened as she cooed at the touch. Beck smiled- he always did, hearing that sound- and this time he could've sworn he saw the corners of Sophie's mouth twitch as if she were about to smile.

"That's right, baby girl. Come on," he encouraged through a smile, and within seconds he watched as Sophie's lips formed a smile of her own, imitating Beck's facial expression.

"There you go," he praised, bending down to kiss her forehead. Sophie continued to smile and Beck felt guilty, knowing that Jade was missing out; she was beginning to wonder why, after reading dozens of books and learning that a baby was capable of smiling at around three months, the almost 4-month old had yet to do so. Beck knew that Jade would be ecstatic.

"Jade!" he called for her, sounding urgent. He regretted his tone, knowing that Jade would probably assume that something had happened, but he wanted her to see this- he wanted her to hurry.

"Jade!"

"What, what's wrong?" the woman in question sounded worried as she entered the room, causing Beck to feel guilty.

"Nothing's wrong," he reassured her.

"Seriously? Beck, I-"

"Come here," he interrupted, eagerly patting the spot next to him on the bed. Jade, confused, complied with his request and sat down beside her husband where he reached out to hold her hand.

"Can you smile for Aunt Jade, Sophie?" he asked the baby girl through a smile.

"She's smiling?"

Beck nodded as he began to rub Sophie's stomach to provoke another smile. His own smile remained plastered on his face and although Jade knew that it would encourage Sophie to imitate the expression, it made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"I know that you're trying to help, but the constant smiling? It's creepy."

"Just do it- trust me."

Heaving a reluctant sigh, Jade looked over to the baby lying on the bed and flashed her a warm smile. "Hi, Sophie Boo," she greeted and watched as another smile spread across her features.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed, feeling proud. "That's right, baby girl. You're smiling."

"Am I forgiven?" Beck teased, wrapping his arms around Jade. She simply nodded as she leaned back into his embrace, where he gently kissed her cheek.

"I can't believe it," she whispered, causing Beck to agree.

"I know. Before we know it, she'll be saying her first words and taking her first steps-"

"Stop," Jade interrupted and Beck sat, confused.

"What?"

"Don't say that."

"Babe-"

"I don't want to think about that," she explained, keeping her eyes locked on Sophie, and Beck couldn't help but feel amused by her answer.

"It's inevitable," he reasoned, "she's going to grow up."

"That doesn't mean you have to talk about it!"

Beck's eyes went wide; he definitely wasn't expecting that type of answer. He was beginning to see multiple facets of his wife lately, thanks to Sophie, and it was something that he was still getting used to.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely, pulling her into his lap. "I didn't know this was such a soft subject for you."

Jade sighed. "I didn't know that it was either. I don't know why I'm so upset by it- we haven't been there for any of the other milestones- she's not even our biological child.

"No," Beck agreed, tilting her chin to look at him, "but you love her as if she were."

Jade agreed wholeheartedly with her husband. It didn't matter to her that Sophie wasn't her own child, she loved her immensely. "Yeah, I guess I do."

Beck smiled, knowing that he was right: anyone with eyes could see how much Jade loved Sophie. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her sweetly, when they were interrupted by Sophie's content coos.

"I hope she's this easy for Cat tonight," Jade spoke up, noticing how happy Sophie had been that day.

"She will be," Beck reassured her, knowing that she was nervous about leaving Sophie.

"But what if she's not?"

"Let's not worry about this right now. You and I both know we could use a relaxing night to ourselves, and Cat offered to watch Sophie. Besides, I seem to recall a certain someone giving her permission to do so. "

Jade just sighed, knowing that Beck was right: although they loved life with Sophie, they both were growing exhausted and needed a night to themselves. What's more, Jade did tell Cat that if they were ever in need of a date night, she could spend some time with Sophie. There was no way to argue against it.

"Besides," Beck continued, hoping to put Jade at ease, "you know Sophie adores Cat, and vice versa. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

"Bottles are on the counter, formula is in the cupboard by the fridge. I just fed her, so she should be alright for a while. If and when she's hungry again, follow the instructions I wrote for preparing her bottle. It should be a while, though. Make sure that she's down by 8,9 at the latest. Bring the baby monitor downstairs with you, and feel free to help yourself to anything you'd like- movies, food, the usual."

Cat giggled as she listened to Beck's baby-sitting breakdown, noticing how anxious he sounded. Although her friends believed otherwise, she knew what she was doing- it hadn't been the first time that she had cared for someone as young as Sophie.

"I know what to do," she promised her friend through a giggle. Beck didn't seem convinced though, and turned to face her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I promise," she assured him when Beck's serious gaze bore into her own, causing him to sigh in relief. He slowly dropped his hand from his friend's shoulder and after a quick glance at his phone, made his way over to the stairs; if he and Jade didn't leave soon, they would miss their dinner reservation.

"Where's Jade?" Cat asked, noticing the absence of her best friend.

"She's still getting ready; she's trying to stall."

"She doesn't trust me?" Cat sulked, not understanding what else she could do to show her friends that she was capable of watching the baby girl. Beck noticed her fallen expression and gave her an apologetic look. It wasn't that Jade didn't entrust in Cat to look after Sophie, but her tendency to act a bit spacey and naïve was unsettling, especially when she would be looking after a baby.

"Of course she does," he reassured her, "but we've never left Sophie with anyone else aside from my parents; even though she won't admit it, I know she's a bit nervous about it."

Cat simply nodded her head in understanding. If watching her friend interact with Sophie for the first time was any indication of her love for the baby girl, Cat could clearly understand why Jade would be upset about going out- she didn't want to leave her baby.

"I'm going to check on her," Beck announced and after earning a slight nod from Cat, he made his way upstairs to the master bedroom. As he approached the doorway, he could hear Jade's soft murmurs coming from inside, causing him to smile as he entered the room.

"You ready, babe?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her; although they would be running late for their reservation, he didn't want her to feel rushed by any means. He seemed to be in the clear and after a few moments, Jade looked up from her spot on the bed.

"How mad would you be if I said no?"

"I don't think I would be mad," Beck answered honestly, "but a certain redhead downstairs might be; she's been looking forward to this for a while."

"Cat's here?"

"She's been here for a while, actually."

"Then I guess we better get going?" she asked, earning a smile from her husband. He gave her a quick nod of his head and turned on heel, heading out the door. However as he made his way to the stairs, he noticed Jade's absence and retreated back to their bedroom.

"See, if we want to go out, we actually need to _go out_," he teased, hoping to earn a smile from his wife, but she seemed to sidestep his efforts and looked down at the baby in her arms.

"I don't want to leave her," she whispered, brushing the hair back from Sophie's forehead.

"I know you don't," Beck sighed, making his way across the room, "But you know that nothing's going to happen: Cat seems to know what she's doing, she knows to call if somehow something _does_ go wrong- which it won't," he added upon receiving a nervous glance from Jade, "and the sooner that we leave, the sooner we can come back, and you'll see that Sophie will be alright. Besides, we haven't had a night to ourselves since the accident. I'd like to have some romantic time alone with my sexy wife."

Jade looked up at her husband, who seemed amused by the flushed tint to her cheeks. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," he chuckled. "I think it's- do I dare say- sweet."

And for once, Jade wasn't upset by his use of the word- she loved Sophie and, after the baby monitor incident, she found herself caring less about exposing her softer, more maternal side. She simply flashed Beck a smile and followed him to the living room to meet their friend.

"Sorry it took so long," she muttered, embarrassed, and earned a warm smile from her friend.

"It's alright," Cat dismissed. She couldn't blame her friend for being upset about leaving Sophie; she knew that she would feel the same way if she were in her position.

"We better get going if we want to make our reservation," Beck spoke up. He turned to face Jade, who hugged Sophie tightly in her arms, and smiled when the baby girl rested her head on the woman's shoulder.

"I love you, baby girl," Jade whispered to her before handing her to Cat. "Don't cause too much trouble."

The younger woman smiled as Sophie squealed in delight, excited to see the familiar face. It had been a while since Cat had seen Sophie, and Jade was worried that the little girl wouldn't recognize her, causing a fuss when her aunt and uncle had to leave. It seemed to be the exact opposite as Sophie not only seemed completely unfazed by the transfer, but she didn't shed a single tear as Beck and Jade began walking out the door.

* * *

"Relax," Beck whispered, reaching across the table to grab his wife's hand. Ever since leaving the house, he could tell that she was nervous- she had sent Cat an alarming amount of messages and when her fingers weren't tapping against the screen of her phone, she found them tapping against the table. Beck had threatened to confiscate her phone at one point, but all it took was one look and he knew that it wasn't going to be an option.

"She quit replying," Jade sighed, placing her phone down on the table.

"That's because she knows we're out. She wants you to have a relaxing time away from home, but you can't do that if you're constantly worrying."

"It wouldn't hurt if she checked in every once in a while."

"Exactly: every once in a while, not every ten minutes," Beck teased. "I know that you're nervous about leaving Sophie, I am too, but let's just try to take our minds off of it for a couple of hours, alright?"

Jade met her husband's sincere gaze before she let out a sigh. "If we don't hear from her within a half an hour, I'm calling."

"Fair enough," Beck smiled, running his thumb along the back of her hand. Jade returned the smile before sitting back in her chair, allowing herself to relax for the first time that night.

"So," she started, trying to take her mind off of Sophie. Beck looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue, and his brows furrowed in confusion when Jade let out a sigh.

"You alright?"

"I feel pathetic," she mumbled, looking down at the table.

"And why's that?" he replied, his voice filled with concern.

"We've been looking forward to a date night for so long- to reconnect and take a break from the baby life- yet all I can think about is Sophie. I don't even know how to make conversation without bringing her up."

"Well," Beck began, tossing his wife a smile, "that's understandable. She's too cute to not bring up."

"I guess you're right," she agreed. "Like today: seeing her smile? That was amazing. And when we left it sounded like she was starting to giggle."

"I can't wait for the moment she does."

Jade let out a soft laugh, retracting her hand from Beck's. He gave her a quizzical look, wondering as to what she found so amusing, and allowed for her to explain.

"We really can't go two seconds without talking about her, can we?" she joked, realizing that Beck was right.

"I guess not," he answered before taking a sip of his wine. "But that's all right, I love seeing this side of you; it's rare, and it's a bit of a turn on."

Jade rolled her eyes at Beck's comment, trying to dismiss it, yet her cheeks grew flushed with embarrassment. "So," she began in an effort to change the subject, "have you decided which audition you're going to go for?"

Ever since graduating from Hollywood Arts, and even during, Beck had been auditioning for several smaller roles for television and cinema, most of which he landed. He had always talked about auditioning for lead or reoccurring roles and after many encouraging talks with his wife, he had finally decided to take them on.

"I think so," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I mean a movie would be amazing, especially being that it's in Europe, but it's not practical. I'm not going to leave my two favorite girls for three months- I wouldn't be able to do it. Besides, I've wanted to do a sitcom for a while and it's close to home."

Jade smiled at her husband, letting out an unnoticeable sigh of relief. Although she wouldn't admit it, some part of her feared that Beck would pursue the movie audition. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would get it, and she didn't know what she would do without him for the three months that he would be away.

"That sounds nice," she agreed, smiling when Beck reached for her hand. He began toying with her wedding ring and looked over as she went to pick her phone up off of the table.

"Babe-"

"It's Cat," she interrupted, placing the phone up to her ear.

"Is everything alright?" she answered, sounding worried.

"Everything's fine- she's asleep."

Jade let out a sigh of relief, thankful that everything seemed to be going well. Although she had her initial doubts, she knew that Sophie would be perfectly fine with Cat.

"Sophie's asleep," Jade whispered, relaying the message to Beck. He smiled, hoping that Jade would finally be at ease and waited patiently for her to end the call. He cleared his throat when she set down her phone, earning a quizzical look from Jade.

"Yes?"

"I told you so," he smirked, earning a glare.

"Do you really want to ruin tonight by being an ass?"

Beck simply laughed and leaned across the table, gently cupping her cheek. Her annoyance seemed to have dissipated and she all but melted under his touch, smiling as he placed a tender kiss to her lips.

"Am I forgiven?" he whispered, gently stroking her cheek, and as Jade leaned in for another kiss, he knew the answer.

* * *

"We're home!" Beck announced as he and Jade strode through the door. Cat, surrounded by books, flung herself off of the couch and made her way over to her friends.

"How was your date?"

"It was nice," Beck answered, wrapping an arm around Jade's waist. She hummed contentedly as Beck sweetly kissed the top of her head and Cat smiled at the sight.

"Sophie's still asleep," she informed them, answering Jade's unasked question. "She was actually pretty easy tonight."

Jade sighed in relief. "Thank God. And thanks for watching her, Cat. I'm glad we were finally able to go out; we really needed that."

"Any time," she smiled, and shook her head as Beck outstretched a hand containing a wad of twenties. "You know I'd do it in a heartbeat- I love spending time with her."

"Cat," Jade warned and after tossing her her signature glare, she watched as Cat hesitantly accepted the cash.

"How does she do that?" she mumbled, causing Beck to laugh. As he let his friend out the door, Jade took it as her opportunity to check on the sleeping baby upstairs. She practically ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time (despite her enormous heels), and smiled as she caught sight of Sophie sleeping peacefully in her crib.

"Goodnight, baby girl," she whispered, dropping her head to kiss Sophie's cheek. As she turned around to make her way out of the room, she caught sight of Beck standing in the doorway as he fumbled with his tie.

"She still asleep?"

"Yeah," Jade smiled, walking over to her husband. When she was within reach, he carefully scooped her up in his arms and walked her into their bedroom before gently setting her on the bed.

"Why do you always insist on doing that? I _can_ walk, you know."

"I know," Beck agreed, "but this way's more fun."

Jade rolled her eyes and watched as Beck knelt down in front of her, gently tugging at the straps of her heels. As he slipped off the first shoe, Jade sat with a smirk, arms crossed across her chest.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just helping you out," Beck shrugged, seeming innocent.

"If you think that helping me undress is going to get you lucky-"

She stopped short when she felt Beck's lips planting gentle kisses on her neck, stopping right below her ear. Within seconds, she felt his hands working the back of her dress as he loosened it button by button. She turned her face towards him, brushing her lips against his and felt a shiver course through her body as he deepened the kiss. Everything else seemed to stop as their lips moved together in sync- one perfect motion. Although Jade would never admit it, she had missed this. A lot.

As Beck gently eased Jade on her back, she found his lips once again at her ear, breathing heavily a midst their fit of passion.

"Isn't that part of the process?"

* * *

**Sorry this took so long :( I had a lot of different ideas for this chapter, but decided to scrap them and save them for later on. I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading and reviewing :D**


	8. Chapter 7

_It appears to me that Sophie is teething_.

After a week of incessant worrying, the words of Sophie's pediatrician, Dr. Wood, had finally put Jade's worrying mind at ease. Over the past several days, the infant had been extremely fussy and when she began to refuse her food, Jade started to worry. Nothing seemed to appeal to the baby's appetite- formula, baby food- she wouldn't take to anything. Even gumming on her crackers drew a negative reaction from the baby girl. After a few days of her diminished appetite and lack of sleep, Jade saw to it to take her to the pediatrician- to make sure that everything was alright. Hearing the doctor's words, it all seemed to make sense and she couldn't be happier about the new milestone.

"Let's try this, baby girl," Jade coaxed, removing a teething ring from the freezer. She looked over at Sophie sitting strapped into her high chair, where Jade had attempted to feed her her dinner- attempted being the operative word. Sophie began to fuss after the first few bites and after realizing it was useless, Jade gave up the battle. She could only hope that the pain would soon subside, and as Sophie looked up into Jade's eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks, she felt her heart break for the baby girl; she felt absolutely helpless.

"Sophie," she soothed, trying to calm her down. The little girl began to quiet down at the sound of Jade's voice and she dropped her little hands from her mouth, outstretching them towards the woman. She wanted to be held, but when she realized that she wouldn't be leaving her spot in the high chair, she grew more upset. Jade took the opportunity and quickly slid the teething ring into the baby's mouth, laughing as Sophie's brows furrowed with confusion. She was unsure of what to do with the foreign object.

"I bet you'll feel better now," she told her, wrapping Sophie's tiny fingers around the handle. Sophie seemed to find immediate relief from the new object, although confused at first, and she let out a content sigh. Jade only hoped that it would have some sort of long-lasting effect and she carefully eyed the baby girl, awaiting another meltdown. When it seemed that she would be okay, she turned back into the kitchen to find something quick that she could make for dinner.

With Sophie enthralled with her new toy, and Jade busily rummaging through the pantry, neither of them had noticed Beck appear in the dining room; he was home early from his audition. He watched, amused, as he stood listening to Jade's mumbles coming from inside the fridge. He could tell that she was a bit rushed and so was thankful that he had made a quick stop at Nozu after his audition- one less thing for his already-stressed-out wife to deal with.

"Hey, babe," he greeted, stepping into the kitchen. He smirked as he watched Jade jump from her spot in the fridge and she turned to face him, clearly not pleased.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized, but Jade wasn't buying it.

"Bullshit. You know I hate that."

"I know," Beck smirked; she was right, and she didn't seem too amused when she walked right past him in the kitchen.

"Hey," Beck murmured, wrapping his arms around her. Being in his arms always had some sort of calming effect, and she felt the stress and frustration dissipating from her body as Beck's arms brought her closer. "You seem rushed."

"We got home late from Sophie's appointment- we had to stop at the store for a few things."

"That would explain her new toy," he smiled, looking over at Sophie.

"She's teething," Jade explained before Beck could ask. "That explains the lack of appetite, lack of sleep, crabby attitude…she's been a handful ever since we got home and I've only now had time to start dinner. So, yes, I feel rushed. And frustrated. And your little antics aren't helping much."

"Would a peace offering help?" Beck asked, gesturing to the bags on the table.

Jade shrugged. She hated to be bribed, but she found herself a bit intrigued. "Depends."

"On what?"

"What's in the bag, Beckett?" she asked, growing annoyed.

"Well," he began as he walked over to the table, "I figured you'd be a bit stressed out after running around and being with Sophie all day, so I brought home some dinner. I figured the last thing you wanted to do was cook. And since I'm no Emril-"

"That's an understatement," Jade snorted and Beck laughed, shaking his head.

"Jokes aside, I thought the least I could do was bring something home."

"Well, thank you," Jade smiled, resting her head on Beck's shoulder. "I would say that you're the best husband ever, but I think I'll spare your ego."

"I'll take it," he said before beginning to dish up a plate. As he turned towards his seat, Sophie finally seemed to notice the familiar face and she flashed him a big, toothless grin, causing Beck to smile at her in return.

"I'd say that's a marked improvement from what I saw this morning."

"No kidding," Jade agreed. "She was skeptical about it at first, but now I'm almost positive that we're going to have to pry it from her hands."

Beck shrugged. "As long as it keeps her entertained. And happy."

Over the course of the dinner, small talk was made about each other's day. Jade filled Beck in on the details of Sophie's appointment- when to expect her first tooth, how to help relieve the pain, and how well Sophie had behaved during the visit. Beck's audition went well and the kind and encouraging words from the casting directors led him to believe that he had a good shot at landing the role. Jade knew that he would get the part- there was no way that he wouldn't- but either way he would hear back within the next couple of weeks. They had made it through most of dinner without any interruption from Sophie, until about halfway through when she found herself bored, strapped into her high chair. She dropped the teething ring from her hands and reached toward Jade with a fuss, wanting to be held.

"Not now, Soph. Mama's eating," Beck said to the little girl, not fully realizing what he had said. Jade didn't know how he could've missed it and she began to choke on a piece of her food, completely in shock.

"Are you alright, babe?" Beck asked her, concerned.

"I'm fine," Jade got out after drinking from her glass of water.

"What was that about?"

"What did you just say?" Jade asked, tossing Beck an incredulous look.

"I said 'are you alright, babe?'"

"Before that," Jade sighed, and Beck ran a hand through his hair. It hadn't occurred to him what he had said until that moment, and he looked nervously at his wife.

"I told Sophie that you were busy," he tried; it wasn't an exact lie.

"No, you told Sophie that _Mama_ was busy."

"And?"

"_And_?" Jade challenged. "And I'm not her mother."

"Jade, that's a bit harsh. She doesn't know any better."

"Exactly, she doesn't- she doesn't know who her real parents are. We're not them."

"We are now," Beck argued. "The day we signed those papers- the day that we brought Sophie into our house- was the day that we became her parents.

"I feel uncomfortable calling myself 'mommy' or you 'daddy'," she explained, and Beck couldn't argue with her. It did feel odd, especially under the circumstances- it felt like he was betraying Cameron and Kate. They were her real parents.

"Do you really expect her first word to be 'Uncle Beck'?"

"Who says she'd say your name first?" Jade snapped, clearly not understanding Beck's point.

"Okay," Beck chuckled- of course she would say that. "Do you expect her first words to be "Aunt Jade? No."

Jade sat in silence for a minute, avoiding eye contact with her husband. The more that she thought about it, the more she understood where he was coming from- the more she realized that he was right- but she didn't want to admit it.

"Why are we having this conversation now?" was all she could say, but Beck ignored her question.

"Cameron and Kate left Sophie to us because they knew that we would be the best fit parents, after them. I know my sister, and I know that she wouldn't want her baby girl to grow up without a mother and a father."

"And we are?"

"To Sophie, we would be Uncle Beck and Aunt Jade- not Mommy and Daddy. To her, it would be like she didn't have any parents."

Jade was baffled. She had never really thought about it from Beck's perspective, and although he clearly referred to Jade as Sophie's mother by accident, it seemed as if his explanation was pre-meditated. Even though she would feel uncomfortable for quite some time, she understood where Beck was coming from and she slowly nodded. Beck watched on, waiting for some sort of comment from Jade and was surprised when she stayed quiet. Instead, she made brief eye contact with him before she stood up from her spot at the table.

"Jade, I didn't mean to upset you," Beck apologized. His eyes followed her as she made her way across the dining room, and he watched as she went to lift an upset Sophie from her high chair.

"Mama's never too busy for you, Sophie Boo," she whispered, rocking the tiny body. It felt so strange to hear the name rolling off her tongue. For the past four months, she had been "Aunt Jade." It would take some getting used to, but she figured that it would come naturally within a matter of time.

"No wonder you're upset," she said, grabbing the thawed-out teething ring from the high chair. She quickly rinsed off the now-useless ring and tossed it back into the freezer. As soon as Sophie realized that the toy was gone, she began to cry. Jade rummaged through the freezer to find another one of Sophie's teething rings and as soon as it was in sight, Sophie immediately settled down.

"Here you go, baby girl," Jade offered, placing it in the baby's mouth. She found herself smiling at Sophie, watching her stare at her through her shimmering brown eyes, and Beck was impressed.

"You continue to amaze me, you know that?"

"Oh?" was all she said, not tearing her eyes away from Sophie. Beck just shook his head with a smile and stood up from the table, before crossing the room to stand beside Jade. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her sweetly, something that even after seven years still caused Jade's heart to flutter.

"Watching you with Sophie? It makes me love you even more."

Jade smiled and turned her face towards Sophie, trying to hide her blush. "Your uncle-daddy," she found herself correcting, "is such a sap."

"I could get used to hearing that," he smiled, feeling his heart swell. He couldn't wait to hear the name coming from Sophie's mouth. Just the thought made his smile widen and he looked down at Jade, who ran a hand over the baby's dark hair.

"Well, she seems pretty happy now," Beck said when she gave him a smile.

"Yeah, now."

"I just find it hard to believe, all of this fuss: the not eating, the crankiness, and the insomnia because of a single tooth?

"There's a couple, actually," she corrected.

"Well, that's a bit more understandable."

Jade continued on, explaining to her husband exactly how the doctor described the situation when she had expressed the same opinion. "How would you feel if a sharp object was slicing its way through your gum, day by day, and just when you thought it was done, it started all over again?"

Beck winced, feeling terrible for the baby girl, and he took Sophie from Jade's arms. "That's sounds awful," he admitted, earning a nod from Jade. "I'm so sorry, Soph."

"It doesn't seem to faze her as much as it does you," Jade teased and Beck rolled his eyes.

"I don't like when she's upset or in pain."

"What, and you think I do? I know that I can be a bit masochistic, and I do enjoy seeing others in pain, but not my baby girl," she teased and stepped into the kitchen to clean up what was left from their dinner. While Jade tidied up the kitchen, Beck saw to it to keep Sophie entertained, to try to keep her mind off of the teething. It seemed to be working for a while, too, as Sophie's loud squeals filled the room.

"Where's Sophie?" Beck asked, peering in between the cracks of his fingers. Sophie playfully swatted at his hands, prompting him to move them from his face, and she giggled as she was showered with kisses. She seemed to be in a far better mood. It wasn't until Jade's soft voice was heard from the kitchen that Sophie grew upset.

"What's wrong, baby?" Jade asked her, stepping into the dining room. She exchanged a sympathetic look with Beck, knowing that she wasn't feeling well, and walked over to the crying girl. Sophie outstretched her arms towards Jade as soon as she was in sight and Beck handed her over, watching as she began to bounce the baby in her arms.

"Oh, Sophie," she sighed, noticing that the baby girl was holding the sides of her face; there was no doubt that she was hurting.

"Can you hand me the small bottle on the kitchen counter? It's Sophie's Tylenol."

"She's allowed to take this?" Beck asked as he held up the bottle, earning a nod from Jade.

"It's baby aspirin-ibuprofen, actually. I'm assuming it's safe, or else it wouldn't have been prescribed," she stated matter-of-factly, and Beck just rolled his eyes before helping give Sophie her medicine, much to the baby's dismay. It took many unsuccessful attempts, but they were finally able to get Sophie to keep down the medication. By the time it was said and done, her frustrated tears dissolved into soft whimpers. It wasn't until she was back in Jade's arms that she fell quiet. Exhausted, she rested her head on the woman's shoulder and snuggled into her arms when Jade held her tight. It was obvious that the baby girl was in pain, and Jade hated when Sophie was upset.

"Is this really going to help her?"

"Well you're just full of questions, aren't you?" Jade teased, to which Beck just shrugged.

"It should work," she answered. "It might make her a bit tired, but it should help her sleep. If it doesn't work, or isn't as effective as it should be, I picked up some numbing swabs to try."

Beck nodded and watched as Sophie gripped the back of Jade's shirt, her tiny fist wrapping around the collar. "She's not going to let go anytime soon."

"It's fine," Jade whispered, rubbing up and down the baby's back, and Beck cocked an eyebrow. He wondered how, within a couple of short months, her attitude towards children could've changed so drastically.

"I don't mind holding her. Besides, she's only going to be this big for so long."

"True," Beck agreed, before letting out a shaky breath, "but we could always have a baby of our own."

Jade felt herself tense and her expression grew serious. She thought that they had already talked about this: she wanted to wait. She wanted to finish college and have a steady career before even _discussing_ children. Even though life with Sophie made her realize that having a baby wouldn't be so bad, she still wanted to wait. Or did she?

"Can you imagine trying to raise a one-year-old _and_ a newborn?" she spoke up, hoping her voice didn't sound too shaky.

"It would be pretty hectic," Beck agreed, and Jade let out a sigh of relief. She expected more of an argument from him and was surprised when he didn't say anything.

"She asleep?" she asked when Beck placed a soft kiss on the baby's forehead. He nodded as he stroked the baby girl's hand. He was glad that she was finally asleep- it had been a while since she had gotten decent sleep and he knew that she must have been exhausted.

"That was fast."

"I don't think it's the medicine so much as it is you holding her."

Jade smiled before looking up at her husband. "I'm going to put her in her crib."

"Alright," he whispered, not wanting to wake the baby, and he took a seat at the dining room table as Jade made her way up into Sophie's room.

"Goodnight, baby girl," Jade whispered, placing a soft kiss to her forehead before setting her in the crib. She couldn't help but smile at the sleeping girl. Despite her initial reaction to Beck's comment, the more she let his words sink in, the more she felt at ease with the idea. She had actually been thinking about discussing adding to their family- having kids of their own. She knew that Beck would be ecstatic and, truthfully, a bit shocked- she had shocked herself when she felt somewhat at peace with the idea. Even though she did want to wait until graduation was under their belts, which was only a mere three months away, the more time that she spent with Sophie, the more she felt ready to discuss the idea with Beck. She could hardly believe it. Jade West, the woman that was known for her brusque nature and dislike of children, had not only fallen in love with her niece (let alone having willingly adopted her), but was now considering having a child of her own. She knew that Beck would be overjoyed, and she couldn't wait to tell him- to see the look on his face when she finally uttered the words "I want to have a baby."

* * *

**Thank you guys for being patient with the update pace, and thank you for all of your feedback. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, let me know what you think :)**


	9. Chapter 8

"Sophie," Jade cooed, greeting the baby on the blanket next to her. The two had been in the backyard, enjoying the spring weather as Jade worked feverishly on yet another term paper. Sophie had thankfully been in a fairly good mood that morning, making it easy for Jade to focus on finishing the last few pages of the assignment while attempting to keep the baby girl entertained. Most days, Jade realized how difficult it was to raise a baby while finishing school and she was thankful that this hadn't proved to be one of those days.

"Hi, baby girl," Jade continued, smiling when Sophie finally looked over. She looked up at the woman with her big brown eyes and smiled back, revealing her two front teeth.

"You hanging in there?" she asked and laughed as Sophie squealed with delight, excited by the familiar voice. "I'll take that as a yes."

Sophie babbled on and watched as Jade continued typing away. She found it amusing for whatever reason, probably due to the light of the screen, and sat, mesmerized. It wasn't long before Jade turned her attention back to Sophie, worried by the sudden silence, when she noticed the baby girl staring intently at Jade's phone lying beside her. She glanced over at it too, noticing the now-lit screen and smiled as she answered the call.

"Hey, babe," she greeted, sitting up from her spot on the blanket.

"How are my two favorite girls?"

"Hold on a sec," Jade answered, putting the call on speaker before pulling Sophie into her lap. The baby girl giggled when Jade began to scratch her stomach and Beck let out a laugh.

"She sounds pretty energetic. Are you having a hard time finishing your paper?"

"She's fine," she assured him, causing Beck to sigh with relief. "And I'm almost finished, actually."

"Well that makes me feel better," he admitted and Jade smiled when Sophie reached for the phone.

"Someone wants to say hi to you."

"Hi, princess," Beck greeted. She smiled at his voice and tried to answer, babbling something in response.

"She misses you," Jade told him and she heard Beck sigh on the other end.

"I'll be off soon," he promised, and Jade didn't know which one of them he was talking to. "I'm going to run by the store before I come home, but it shouldn't take long.

"We just went to the store," Jade reminded him, and she grew suspicious at the silence on the other end. "What're you up to, Oliver?"

"I'm just picking something up for Sophie-a surprise."

"O-okay?" she answered, seeming skeptical.

"Trust me, babe. She'll like it."

Jade just sighed, knowing that he was probably up to no good. "Just…don't take too long."

"I won't," he assured her, "I promise. But I have to go. I love you."

"I know," she answered and looked down at Sophie after ending the call. "He's definitely up to something."

"You think so too, huh?" she asked when Sophie looked up at her with a smile. The little girl just giggled as she kept looking into Jade's eyes, but her giggles came to a halt when the brim of her hat fell over her eyes; she could no longer see Jade, and she let out a cry of frustration. The woman picked up on this and quickly but gently flipped back the brim, only to expose a very surprised-looking Sophie. The facial expression was priceless, and Jade couldn't help but laugh. Sophie eventually joined in on the laughter, although seeming a bit scared at first, and let out a squeal as Jade showered her with kisses.

"I love you, Sophie Boo," she told her and she smiled as she watched Sophie slyly cover her face with her hat.

"Sophie," Jade cooed before tipping back her hat, causing Sophie to squeal. It was hard to tell who was entertaining who, and they continued to play for another half hour or so until Jade noticed a tiny yawn escape Sophie's mouth.

"Are you tired, baby girl?"

Sophie yawned again before laying her head against Jade's chest, prompting her to remove the little girl's sun hat. She sighed as she rubbed up and down Sophie's back and caught a glimpse of her watch, noticing that it was already four o'clock. Even though it was a bit late for Sophie's nap, and Jade knew that Sophie would most likely be up late, she didn't want to deal with a tired, upset baby- Sophie was still a bit fussy due to her teething.

"Come on, Soph. Let's get you inside," she whispered, kissing the top of Sophie's head before making her way into the house. After setting her in the playpen and cleaning up their mess from outside, Jade smiled at the sight of an already fast-asleep Sophie before sitting at the table to finish her paper and before long, start on dinner. Sophie seemed to sleep well enough for a couple of hours, but she began to fuss as Jade finished cooking. Jade held her breath, hoping that it was only the noise that had startled her and that she would fall back asleep. It wasn't long though until she could hear Sophie crying from the other room and she quickly dumped a pile of diced vegetables into the pan before running into the living room to get to Sophie. She noticed her struggling to sit up which only fueled her frustration, causing her to cry even more.

"What's the matter?" Jade asked, scooping her up into her arms. Sophie just looked up at Jade with big, glistening eyes and held onto her cheeks; she knew what was wrong.

"I know, baby girl," she cooed, bouncing her as she made her way into the kitchen. She whipped open the freezer and after fumbling around, she handed a teething ring over to Sophie, much to her delight. The baby girl shoved the cool ring into her mouth and laid her little head on Jade's shoulder, causing her to sigh. She hoped that Beck would be home soon, as it was difficult to make dinner with Sophie in the mood that she was in.

"Okay, Soph. Mama has to finish up dinner," she whispered to her, walking back into the living room. She put Sophie back in her playpen, much to her dismay, and the little girl's eyes welled up with fresh tears as Jade turned back to the kitchen. It wasn't long until she began to cry, and Jade found herself trying to soothe her while she finished up in the kitchen. She knew that Sophie couldn't help it, but she was beginning to grow frustrated.

"I'm almost done," she reassured her, but Sophie was still upset. She turned off the stove with a sigh and walked back over to Sophie, picking her up and holding her tight. "Shhh, baby girl. It's alright."

Sophie buried her face into the crook of Jade's neck and snuggled into her embrace, but she was still upset. No amount kisses or reassuring words from Jade could appease the baby girl, and so when Beck finally walked through the front door, Jade let out a sigh of relief.

"Sophie," Beck sighed, making his way over to her. "What's the matter, princess?"

"Her teeth have been bothering her, and she hasn't really slept much today," Jade answered and she watched as Beck kissed Sophie's tear-stained cheek.

"Do you want me to take her?"

She nodded and handed the baby over to Beck, smiling softly when she clung to him. "I told you she missed you."

"Has she been like this all day?"

"Actually, no. She woke up about a half an hour ago, and has been upset ever since."

"And you were able to cook dinner?"

"And finish my paper," Jaded added, smirking when Beck looked at her, amazed.

"How the hell do you do it?"

Jade shrugged. "I'm just that good."

Beck just rolled his eyes before setting a now sleeping Sophie back in the playpen. He stood up and turned back to his wife, noticing the expectant look on her face. "Am I in trouble?"

"I don't know, you tell me," she answered, and Beck gave her a quizzical look.

"What did you get at the store?"

"You'll see," he smiled, causing Jade to eye him suspiciously.

"So help me God, Beck, if you got a dog-"

"I didn't," he interrupted.

"Then what-"

Jade was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell and Beck ran across the room to let in his guests. He knew that Jade wouldn't be too thrilled, especially with the mood that Sophie had left her in, but he figured that he could use the help.

"What the hell are they doing here?" she asked, watching as Robbie Shapiro and Andre Harris followed Beck into the living room.

"It's nice to see you too, Jade," Andre answered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Beck, I'm giving you one last chance to tell me what's going on," Jade threatened but he just wrapped his arms around her, kissing her sweetly.

"Nothing that you need to worry about," he assured her, "we have it completely under control. Just relax, have a glass of wine. You could use one after today."

Jade sighed, but eventually agreed with her husband. She _did_ feel a bit uptight after the day that she had, and she knew that a glass of wine would help her to unwind. If she was lucky enough, it might even help her fall asleep. For Beck's sake, it would hopefully take her edge off enough by the time his little project was finished- he didn't want her to be upset.

"I'll just be in here, I guess."

* * *

"Andre, take that side and slide it over here, would you?" Beck asked his friend. Andre simply nodded and did as he was told, handing the piece over. After securing the piece with his own, he sat down next to Robbie to help him sort through pieces, matching them to the pictures in the instructions.

"How's it coming, Rob?"

"This is a lot harder than you think," he sighed.

Beck ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how they would start putting it together. It didn't seem so bad at first thought- he figured that between the three of them, they could knock it out within an hour, two tops. He didn't realize how difficult it would actually be and he felt his masculinity being put to shame.

"You really think the three of us can pull this off?" Andre asked, almost as if reading Beck's mind. "You and I- we're not exactly the most handy. And then there's Robbie…"

"Hey!" Robbie interjected.

"No offense, Rob."

Robbie just sighed and shrugged, realizing that he was probably right. He did have a tendency to screw up a lot of projects.

"He's got a point," Beck chimed in. "Do you remember what happened in high school? When we tried to fix the window to Carl Gibbons- Mrs. Valentine's boss's house? We did more damage than repair. _You_ did more damage than repair."

"We've got five more years of experience under our belts."

"Let's hope you're right," Beck chuckled before turning back to his work.

"So how long do you think this is going to take?" Andre asked, and Beck looked at him questioningly.

"You got a date tonight?"

"No," he sulked. "Tori has family in town, so I won't see her for a couple of days."

"Looks like we have all night," Robbie teased.

"For Beck's sake, and our own, this better not take all night."

"It won't," Beck assured them, connecting a few of the foreign pieces.

"I'd give it a solid two hours before Jade starts getting suspicious."

"Oh, I'd give it less than that," he sighed, knowing that she already was.

The three worked for the next hour, hammering and drilling pieces together while making conversation. The project was really beginning to come together and when it was starting to take shape, Beck finally set down his tools. He wiped his brow and looked over at his friends, watching as they set down the section that they were working on.

"I'll be right back," he announced before going inside to check on Sophie and Jade, who sat half-asleep on the couch. He smiled to himself, happy that she was relaxed and almost asleep- she needed the rest.

"I thought we could use a drink ourselves," he told his friends, rejoining them outside and handing out a few cold beers that he had snagged.

"Is this really practical?"

"I can drink yours if you don't feel up to it," Beck teased his curly-haired friend.

"No, not that," he responded, taking a swig from the bottle.

"He means this," Andre clarified, gesturing to the mess in the backyard. "Don't you think Sophie's a little too young? What is she, four months old?"

"Five next week. She can enjoy some of it now, and the rest when she's older and a bit more mobile."

"You mean _you_ can enjoy it now?" Andre teased, causing Beck to laugh.

"Maybe."

"And Jade's not going to mind all of this, huh?"

"Three months ago she would have," Beck answered and Andre raised his eyebrow, confused.

"Cat told me that Jade's changed. A lot," Robbie piped in, leaning against the porch railing.

Beck smiled. "She has. She's a lot softer when she's with Sophie and she's so protective of her. I've never seen her so in love with something, especially a baby."

Andre was completely baffled- he couldn't believe it. "Jade West? As in 'Jade With Tots,' Jade West?"

Beck nodded proudly and Andre's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, I'll be damned."

After their drinks were finished, Beck offered to take the empty bottles inside. He noticed that dinner was still on the stove as he set the bottles in the sink and decided to put it in the fridge, feeling bad- after what Jade went through while trying to make it, he hoped that it hadn't spoiled. When he finished cleaning up the kitchen, he noticed Jade fast asleep on the couch and chuckled as he placed her Pearpad on the coffee table. He grabbed the throw blanket at the end of the couch and pulled it over her before kissing her forehead. As he whispered a "goodnight," he heard a small noise coming from the center of the room, and he looked over to see Sophie wide awake.

"Well hello, Sophie," he greeted and she smiled at him, seemingly in a better mood. "Come on, baby girl. Let's go outside."

Andre and Robbie both smiled at their friend when he made his way through the back door, and Andre decided to approach the two. "You must be Sophie," he greeted, smiling at her. Sophie looked over at Andre before giving him a small smile- she was shy.

"It's alright, Soph," Beck encouraged, not wanting her to be afraid.

"Hi, cutie," Robbie spoke up, making his way over. Despite being in Beck's arms, Sophie still seemed shy and he scratched her stomach, earning a wide smile. "There you go," he cooed, kissing her forehead. She snuggled into Beck's arms when he reclaimed his spot on the grass, and although he absolutely adored it, it made it difficult to continue working.

"Andre, will you take her for a second?" he asked. "I need to screw this in."

Andre nodded, prompting Beck to hand the baby over. When she was settled in Andre's arms, she curiously looked up at the unfamiliar face, a scared look on her face. "What's up, baby girl?" he greeted and Sophie smiled up at him, no longer seeming as nervous. She continued to sit, content, in his lap while she watched Robbie and Beck clean up the mess in the backyard; after a solid three- almost four- hours, they had finally finished.

"What do you think, Sophie?" Andre whispered, laughing at the somewhat confused look on her face.

"Alright, bring her over," Beck spoke up from across the yard and Andre made his way over, handing her to Beck. He carefully placed her in the baby swing that was situated in the middle of the structure and gave her a gentle push, smiling when her eyes went wide with surprise.

"I can't believe we actually pulled this off," Andre admitted.

"And without a single injury," Beck teased, gesturing to Robbie.

"Hey! Like I said, it was five years ago."

The other two friends just shook their heads and turned their attention back to Sophie, watching as a smile began to spread across her face. Within a few minutes, she began squealing with delight, causing all three men to smile.

"Sounds like someone likes it," Andre laughed as he listened to Sophie's giggles.

"I knew she would, and she can grow into the rest of it."

"This thing's huge for a little girl, I don't think she'll ever grow into it," Robbie spoke up, adding in his two cents.

"Well, hopefully in a few years she'll have some siblings to play around with."

Andre looked at him, noticing the smile present on his friend's face. "You serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look at you, talking about having kids of your own. My boy's growing up."

"Jade's all for it?" Robbie asked, and Beck's smile fell.

"I'm not so sure. Whenever I've brought it up, especially when I would joke about it in high school, she seemed skeptical about it and was quick to shoot it down. But after the whole Sophie situation, she does seem a lot more…pro children, if you will."

"Damn, she really has changed," Andre marveled, causing Beck's smile to return.

"That she has."

"What the hell did you guys do?" Jade asked, stepping off of the back porch. With all three of them with their backs to the door, they didn't even realize Jade's appearance. They were all too enthralled with Sophie.

"I think it's pretty obvious what we-" Robbie tried to answer, but Jade tossed him a look, effectively cutting him off.

"Jokes aside," Beck spoke up, wrapping his arm around her waist, "we built Sophie a play structure.

"She's five months old, Beck."

"True, but look how much fun she's having."

Jade looked over at Sophie sitting happily in her little swing. Although she wished that he would've talked to her about it first, it did seem to make Sophie happy, so she couldn't be upset with that.

"I know it seems big for her now, but she can grow into it," Beck added.

"Yeah, and within a few years you might have a couple of more kids that could put this to use," Robbie said and Beck let out a sigh, waiting for Jade's reaction.

"Dude."

"What?" Robbie asked, turning to face his other friend. "Beck said it."

Jade frowned before looking up at Beck. "We've talked about this."

"I know, babe," he told her, and he kissed her sweetly, hoping to alleviate her discomfort.

"Keep that up and you'll have a brood of little Olivers running around," Robbie teased, earning an elbow to the ribs.

"What was that for?" he sulked, rubbing his side. He didn't understand what was so wrong.

"For putting your foot in your mouth," Andre answered. "Twice."

"I didn't mean anything by it."

Beck, noticing how uncomfortable Jade seemed, exchanged glances with Andre and he finally got the idea- get Robbie out of there.

"And on that note…"

"Thanks again, guys. Sophie really loves it."

Andre smiled. "Anything for the little miss."

After showing their friends out, Beck walked back out into the backyard, where he caught sight of Jade sitting on the swing next to Sophie. She looked up at him through a small scowl, and Beck thought that he had it coming.

"Thanks for telling me you had her. I nearly had a heart attack when I woke up and noticed she was gone."

"You were asleep," Beck defended. "I didn't mean to worry you, but she was awake and I didn't want to bother you."

Jade seemed satisfied enough by his reasoning, and stood up from her swing to join him. "So who'd you hire to help you guys?"

"No one," Beck answered honestly, "and I'm a bit hurt by your lack of faith; we knew what we were doing."

"So you put this together in a few hours, cleaned up the kitchen _and_ took care of Sophie?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Wow," Jade praised him, but then let out a sigh, not being able to avoid the elephant in the room any longer. "Look, about what Robbie said-"

"Don't worry about it, babe. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable- I know how you feel about adding to the family."

Jade looked up at her husband, feeling guilty hearing the dejected tone in his voice. Even though he did feel guilty, seeing how seemingly uncomfortable Jade had grown due to Robbie's comments, she could see the hopeful gleam in his eye that one day she would finally be willing to have children. She had been meaning to talk to him about it- to let him know that she was ready- yet for some reason she felt extremely nervous about it. But seeing how he interacted with Sophie only made her want to tell him that much more- she wanted to watch him interact with children of their own someday. She wanted to tell him- she had to tell him- and to her, the sooner the better.

* * *

**I feel like I always say the same thing, but thank you guys for reading and for your reviews; they mean a lot and are really motivating :) I hope you like what you've read so far and continue to enjoy chapters to come. :)**


	10. Chapter 9

"I want a baby," Jade mumbled from her spot in front of the mirror. She had been in the bathroom, for the past forty-five minutes rehearsing for her conversation with Beck; It had taken her a full half hour to even be able to say the sentence out loud, so it was progress. But to Jade, it still wasn't good enough; she wasn't convinced. She didn't have much time either, as after shortly responding to Beck's knocks several times, she didn't doubt that he would be barging through the door any minute.

"I…I…," she started, a bit louder this time, but she found it impossible to finish her words. She knew that she shouldn't be this nervous, but she was.

"God I can't do this," she sighed, placing her head in her hands and leaning against the counter. "If I can barely admit it out loud to myself, how the hell am I supposed to admit it to him?"

"Jade?" Beck asked from outside of the door (for the umpteenth time), causing Jade to jump. The last thing she wanted was to see him- she was too nervous. "Are you alright, babe?"

"Can I come in?" he asked, worried by Jade's lack of words.

"Y-yeah?"

Beck slowly opened the door, not sure what he was walking into. He quickly glanced over Jade and knew immediately that something was wrong, but didn't know exactly what it was.

"You've been in here for a while. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," she assured him, regaining strength in her voice, but Beck still wasn't convinced.

"Is Sophie still asleep?" she asked him, interrupting him before he had the chance to pry any further.

Beck sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be getting anywhere with her. She was too stubborn. "It's only been twenty minutes so, yes, she's still asleep. Are you sure you're okay? You look a little…flushed."

"I'm fine, really," she told him with a smile, and Beck seemed to have fallen for it. He walked over to her and wrapped her in his reassuring embrace, in the event that something really was wrong, and began to gently rub her back. "So, since I have the day off, is there anything in particular that you want to do today?"

Jade wanted nothing more than to spend the day with Sophie and Beck, to just have a relaxing family day. It had been a while since they had spent a full day together, just the three of them. But her mind was still reeling about the baby concept. She wanted to talk to someone before confronting Beck, to let someone else know how she felt, and she knew exactly who that someone was: Cat. She knew that she would soon be done with classes for the day, and that the redhead would be more than willing to meet her friend for lunch.

"Actually, Cat called me and wanted to meet for lunch after her last class," she told him and she swore that she could see a small frown on his face. "I won't be gone for too long, I promise. Just a couple of hours."

"When are you supposed to meet?"

"In a half an hour. And by the time that I can actually get onto campus and find a decent place to park, that would probably put me there on time."

Beck sighed. The campus was difficult enough as it was to drive through, especially during spring quarter, when more students were out and about. Even he was afraid to drive through it some days. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I always am," she reminded him, and wriggled out of Beck's grip, making her way downstairs. She dialed her friend's number as she slid into her car and after the first ring, Cat's voice filled Jade's ear.

"Hi hi!"

"Yeah, hi. Listen, meet me at the café across from the performing arts hall in a half an hour."

"You're coming to visit me?"

Jade pinched the bridge of her nose, noting the excitement in Cat's tone. "Yes, Cat."

After hearing her overly enthusiastic reply, Jade hung up her phone and shook her head. She knew to expect it from her best friend, but she could only hope that Cat could tell this wouldn't be a typical lunch date. Although Cat could act a bit ditzy and clueless, she knew when to be serious (more often than not). Jade just hoped that today would be one of those days.

* * *

Jade sat outside of the café, waiting patiently for her friend. There was relatively little traffic on campus that day, surprisingly enough, and she was able to make it to the school with a few minutes to spare. Those few minutes couldn't have passed slow enough, and she let out a sigh of relief when she spotted her friend making her way across the street.

"Jade!" Cat called out, practically running to her.

"Hey," Jade greeted her with a genuine smile. It had been a while since she had seen her friend and she was beginning to miss her. She even accepted Cat's hug when she wrapped her tiny arms around Jade's frame.

"No Sophie?" she asked as they headed through the café doors.

"Not today, Beck has her. I figured we could use some Cat and Jade time."

Cat smiled at her friend, excited to spend some time with her. She slid into the booth across from Jade and they began making small talk: discussing classes, their upcoming graduation, and a few Sophie anecdotes were thrown in here and there. They seemed to have fallen into a pattern-_Cat_ seemed to have fallen into a pattern- while Jade found herself a bit withdrawn. She sat back in her booth, tracing the rim of her water glass with her ring finger. It wasn't until the food was brought out, which she hadn't even noticed, that Cat stopped talking. Ironically, the abrupt silence was what caught Jade's attention and she glanced up at her friend, waiting for her to say something else.

"Are you okay, Jadey?"

Jade sighed. She wanted to tell her friend- she needed to tell _somebody_. But with Cat, you never knew how she would react. Especially being that they would be talking about a baby- Jade's baby. As soon as the words would leave Jade's lips, Cat would be too excited- she'd be too far gone to even try to continue the conversation.

"Jade?"

The girl in question looked up at her friend, her face flushed. She didn't know how to say it- she was terrified and admittedly a bit embarrassed. She could only imagine how'd she'd feel when she decided to tell Beck.

"So…graduation is coming up," Jade started, hoping to start up another conversation.

Cat smiled. "I know, we've already talked about it."

"Wow," Jade mumbled, "I must be more out of than I thought."

"What?"

"Nothing. Can I ask you something?"

Cat noticed Jade looking down at her plate, and she could tell by her tone that something was different. She was worried about her friend. "Anything."

"Do you really think I'm a good mother to Sophie?"

"Haven't we already this conversation?"

"Well now we're having it again," Jade snapped, and she felt guilty as Cat sunk back into the booth. "Look, I'm sorry. I just want to know.

"Of course you are," Cat assured her. "Sophie's a lucky baby to have someone like you to look after her."

"You don't think I'm too harsh? Too mean, too…_me?_?"

"Of course not. You're so gentle with Sophie, and I know she loves you to pieces. Just like I know you love her the same. Why are you asking?"

"Never mind," Jade sighed, but Cat wasn't satisfied. She could tell that it was bothering Jade, and she wanted to help her friend.

"But why-?"

"Because I want to have a baby," Jade blurted out, and Cat's eyes widened in shock.

"Awe, Jade!"

"Cut it out! People are staring."

Cat sat back in her booth. She felt bad for attracting attention, especially because Jade absolutely hated unnecessary attention, but she still had the same giddy expression on her face. "You really do?"

"Yeah, I do," Jade smiled, feeling better now that someone else knew.

"What did Beck say?"

"He, uh, doesn't know yet."

"What? Why?"

"Because I haven't told him," Jade answered matter-of-factly.

"Well how are you supposed to have a baby if you don't tell him? You can't have a baby by yourself."

"I don't know how to tell him."

"How about 'Beck, I want a baby'?"

"It's not that easy."

"Sure it is," Cat replied. "Five little words. I can do it for you, if you want." Jade thought she was joking, so when Cat went to reach for her phone, she found herself growing incredibly nervous.

"NO! I want to tell him."

"But how?"

"I don't know," Jade admitted, throwing her hands up in defeat. "I'm afraid to tell him."

"Why?"

"What if he doesn't want one?"

"Jade, that's ridiculous. We both know how badly Beck wants to have a baby. Well, another one."

"But what if he doesn't take me seriously when I tell him?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Hello, I'm Jade West! Up until Sophie was born, even the first month that we had her, I wasn't too sure about the idea. Every time Beck brought it up, I would just brush it off, not wanting to talk about it. I always told him that I never wanted to have children, especially when he would joke about it in high school, and I always made such a huge deal about it. I kept telling him that maybe one day I would want to start a family, but I think we both knew that it would probably never happen. Now within a few short months my opinion has totally changed? Wouldn't that take you by surprise? If you were Beck, how could you take me seriously?"

"I don't think he wouldn't believe you, especially after seven years of being together. And, seeing how much you've changed since you guys became Sophie's guardians, why wouldn't he believe you?"

"I…I don't know," Jade admitted quietly.

"You have to tell him eventually."

"But I'm too scared," she mumbled, and Cat was shocked. Jade was never scared.

"Why?"

"Because once it's out in the open, we'll start trying. Once we start trying, I'll get pregnant, and then nine months later, we'll have a baby."

Cat laughed at Jade's logic. "But that's how it works."

"I know that," Jade snapped. "But the whole thing, it just scares me. Being pregnant, the mood swings (because Lord knows I don't have enough of those), the morning sickness, the possibility of a miscarriage, and going through labor. It scares me. I don't think I could do it."

"But at the end of all of that, you'll have a little baby that's half you, half Beck that will absolutely love you. And Sophie will have someone to play with."

"That's true," Jade muttered. "But what if we start trying and nothing happens? What if we're not meant to have children together?"

"All you have to do is try," Cat reassured her, and Jade sat in silence, digesting Cat's words. Their conversation did seem to help, surprisingly, and she _did_ feel a bit better about the impending conversation with Beck.

"So?" she asked gently.

"I'm going to tell him. Today. And you're going to help me."

* * *

"Jade, come on," Cat urged. The two had been sitting in the driveway for the past ten minutes in almost complete silence. Jade, naturally, had been making herself even more worried about her conversation with Beck and she now felt more nervous than she did before.

"Why is this so hard?" she sighed. Most women would be ecstatic to discuss the idea of children with their husband, but then again Jade wasn't like most women. For all of her life, she had been letting her own insecurities and self-doubts interfere with her decisions. This was no exception.

"It shouldn't have to be."

"Then why am I this nervous?"

"I don't know," Cat told her. "It's not like you're telling him that you _are_ having a baby, just that you want one."

Jade sat still, not saying a single word. Cat was right, but for some reason she just couldn't shake the nerves. She hadn't even realized the ensuing silence until she finally looked up at her friend, whose eyes were wide with excitement.

"Wait, are you-?" she asked, misinterpreting Jade's silence.

"NO!" Jade barked, and then sighed. "No, I'm not. At least I don't think so."

"How do you know for sure?"

"I just know, okay?" she snapped, clearly growing aggravated. She couldn't be, could she?

Cat watched her friend as she took a deep breath and finally got out of the car. She figured that Jade was still incredibly nervous, so she followed close behind, giving her encouraging, reassuring words the entire way up to the house. She thought that Jade would turn around, say that she couldn't do it-again- and try to come up with some reason as to why she should wait to talk to him. But she didn't, and Cat was surprised when she watched Jade open the door without second thought and cross into the living room. When she entered, she fully expected to see Beck playing with Sophie, and she let out a sigh of relief when she noticed his absence. Sophie, however, was lying wide awake in her playpen. Having missed the baby girl and wanting to stall, Jade swooped her up in her arms and showered her with kisses, earning a smile from the baby girl.

"I missed you, Sophie," she told her, holding her tight against her chest. Cat smiled when Sophie curled into Jade's arms, and she couldn't figure out why Jade was so worried. She was a great mother to Sophie.

"Where's Beck?" she asked, knowing that Jade had been trying to stall. Although it wasn't her intention, Jade felt herself grow anxious and she felt her stomach drop- for a moment, she had forgotten about the matter at hand.

Jade heaved a reluctant sigh. "Will you take Sophie outside to play for a little bit? You can put her in the baby swing."

Cat nodded and eagerly took the little girl, giving Jade a reassuring smile before walking about back. Not even five seconds later, Jade could hear Cat's overly-excited shriek and she laughed softly, shaking her head; she had found the play structure. She wanted to be out there with them, playing with Sophie. Something about the little girl's presence seemed to have some sort of calming effect on her, and she wanted to be holding her in her arms. But she knew it wasn't an option. She had to talk to Beck-alone- and so she hesitantly made her way up to their bedroom, where she could hear Beck's soft voice coming from inside. She took a timid stride into the room and at the sight of him, she began to doubt her decision.

"I shouldn't be doing this. What if he doesn't want one?" she mumbled, before answering herself. "Don't be ridiculous, Jade. He obviously wants one."

Her soft mumbles seemed to attract Beck's attention and he whipped around from his spot at the window, greeting her with a smile. "Hey, babe."

Jade just smiled back, not wanting to interrupt the call. Part of her was glad- she had time to prepare herself. Yet some part of her, and a very small part of her, wanted to tell him and to just get it out in the open.

"Thank you so much," she heard him say. "I'll let her know."

"So that was my agent," he began, turning to his wife after ending the call. She knew what it was about. He had only been expecting that call for the past couple of weeks- it was long overdue.

"And?"

"I got the role on the sitcom," he announced, smiling proudly and Jade felt happy for him. It was something that he had been working towards since she had known him- a spot on a popular TV show. Although it was a guest role, it was one of the more prominent roles and he would practically be seen as a regular cast member. It was his big break.

She gave him a genuine, warm smile, along with her congratulations, before becoming serious. She seemed tense, almost, and Beck picked up on it almost instantly.

"Can we talk?" she asked before he had the chance to speak.

"What about?"

Jade sighed and after a few moments of silence, continued. "About…kids," she muttered, almost inaudibly.

"Jade," Beck sighed. "I'm sorry if it seems like I've been pressuring you into the idea. I can tell how uncomfortable it makes you whenever I bring it up and I respect that you want to wait."

He didn't understand.

"No, Beck-"

"It's okay, babe," he interrupted her. "I don't want to instigate the discussion if it makes you uncomfortable. If and when you decide that you're ready, we can talk."

"That's what I'm trying to do," she mumbled, but he didn't hear her.

"After that phone call, I'm glad that you were so adamant about waiting. I think it would be difficult to raise two children, especially a newborn, during all of this. I would miss out on too much, and I wouldn't want to leave you with two small children- babies for that matter- all day while I'm at work."

"So, you want to wait?" she asked, and she felt her heart drop in her chest at the nod of Beck's head. Figured, now that she was ready, he wanted to wait. Part of her wished that she _was_ pregnant, because there wouldn't be any waiting- it would happen whether they were ready or not.

"Don't you?" he asked her, confused and a bit worried by the saddened expression on his face. She wanted to tell him no- she didn't want to wait. After all, her desire to have kids hadn't evolved over time- it just sort of appeared one day. Who's to say it wouldn't go as quick as it came?

"Yeah," she finally told him and he seemed to be convinced. "I do."

"Any reason in particular you wanted to talk about this?"

"Oh, you know," she began, clearing her throat, "just curious," and then she turned on heel and walked downstairs to meet Cat and Sophie in the backyard. She knew that she shouldn't have left him without an explanation, but she was upset and didn't want him to see her. After she left, Beck found himself confused by her sudden departure, but he thought it was just Jade being Jade- he was used to it.

"So how'd it go?" Cat asked when she spotted Jade shutting the back door. She noticed the sullen look on her face and she immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Jadey?"

The girl in question simply walked past the redhead and made her way over to Sophie, smiling ever-so-slightly as the baby giggled. She gently stopped the swing and picked Sophie up, hugging her close to her and she felt the tiniest bit relieved. It was comforting to have the baby girl in her arms.

"Did you talk to him?" Cat tried again, slowly approaching Sophie and Jade.

"Yeah, I did," she answered, disappointment evident in her voice.

Cat smiled eagerly, hoping that there was still a small chance that everything went well, but Jade's saddened expression alone let her know that something had happened. She figured that it must've gone worse than she thought, as Jade was never one to seem so upset, and the small crack in her voice only confirmed it.

"Is everything okay?" she asked gently, placing her hand on Jade's shoulder.

"He's not ready," Jade answered, heartbroken. "He doesn't want a baby."

Cat was absolutely shocked- she almost didn't believe her. "What? But he-"

"He doesn't want to raise another baby while he's working on the sitcom- oh, yeah, he got the part. It figures, now that I'm ready, he's not."

"But think about it, Jadey," Cat started, trying to comfort her, "you're only twenty-one. Most people aren't even married at you're age, let alone thinking about starting their family. You guys already have Sophie, so would it really be that bad to wait? Even if another five years or so passes, you'd still be young. And in that time you can concentrate on raising Sophie and give her your undivided attention, which someone her age would need."

Jade was admittedly shocked by Cat's logic. Although she had her bright moments, it still baffled Jade that she could offer up such advice. Listening to her, she figured that it wouldn't be all that bad, but she still wanted a baby, and she couldn't understand why she felt so strongly about it.

"I don't want to wait five years," Jade told her, almost assertively.

"Then you need to talk to him. Again."

"I'm a mess."

"Maybe if he sees how emotional you are over the issue, he'll realize how badly you want this."

"I don't want this to be a pity party. I shouldn't be this upset over it," Jade argued, regaining the strength in her voice. She was shutting down, and Cat knew that there was nothing she could do to persuade her otherwise.

"You have every right to be, but you need to talk to him."

Jade sat in silence for a moment, mulling over Cat's words. Cat thought that she had gotten through to her, but of course she wasn't surprised when she heard the word fall from her friend's mouth.

"No."

* * *

**So apparently packing for school puts me in a great mood to write...or I just REALLLLY didn't want to pack. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the update :) Please review and let me know what you think :D**


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